Castalian Spring

The Castalian Spring, in the ravine between the Phaedriades at Delphi, is where all visitors to Delphi — the contestants in the Pythian Games, and especially pilgrims who came to consult the Delphic Oracle — stopped to wash themselves and quench their thirst; it is also here that the Pythia and the priests cleansed themselves before the oracle-giving process. Finally Roman poets regarded it as a source of poetic inspiration. According to some mythological versions it was here that Apollo killed the monster, Python, who was guarding the spring, and that is why it was considered to be sacred.

Two fountains, which were fed by the sacred spring, still survive. The archaic 6th century BCE fountain house has a marble-lined basin surrounded by benches. Water was brought here by means of a short and small aqueduct and was distributed by a system of water pipes ending in lion-headed spouts.

The Roman fountain dates to the 1st century B.C. and is situated about 50 meters higher from the Archaic one. Niches carved on the rock were intended for the ex votos of the pilgrims. One of them was later transformed into a church of St. John the Baptist. The water of the spring reached the fountain with a closed aqueduct. On the facade of the fountain there were seven bronze spouts. In front of it there was a paved courtyard with stone benches on its three sides.

Nowadays a modern fountain stands close to the street leading to the archaeological site of Delphi to offer respite to the travelers. The Castalian Spring fuelled poetic inspiration, albeit often confused with the Spring of Pieris. The Castalian Band, a group of poets or makars associated with the Court of James VI of Scotland (including the king himself) drew their name from this source.

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Wikipedia