Paris Fountains Great and Small

The history of fountains in Paris until the mid-19th century was the history of the city's efforts to provide clean drinking water to its growing population. Paris fountains in the 20th century no longer had to supply drinking water; they were purely decorative. Twenty-eight new fountains were built in Paris between 1900 and 1940; only a handful of fountains were built in Paris between 1940 and 1980. The most important ones built during that period were on the edges of the city, on the west, just outside the city limits, at La Defense, and to the east at the Bois de Vincennes.

Between 1981 and 1995, during the terms of President Francois Mitterand and Culture Minister Jack Lang and of Paris Mayor Jacques Chirac (Mayor from 1977 until 1995), the city experienced a program of monumental fountain-building that exceeded that of Napoleon Bonaparte or Louis Philippe. More than one hundred fountains were built in Paris in the 1980s and 1990s, mostly in the neighborhoods outside the center of Paris, where there had been few fountains before. The Mitterrand-Chirac fountains had no single style or theme. Many of the fountains were designed by famous sculptors or architects, who had radically different ideas of what a fountain should be. Some were solemn, and others were whimsical. Most made little effort to blend with their surroundings-- they were designed to attract attention.

I have already included photos of fountains associated with various locations and landmarks, but there are other fountains that are also noteworthy. Paris has more than THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOUNTAINS, the oldest dating back to the 16th century. They range from a simple public faucet, used long ago as a source of drinking water, to fountains on the grandest of scales, and from the classical fountains built long ago to the modern, abstract fountains built in the 1980s and 1990s. One day, I would like to visit (and photograph) all of the fountains I haven’t seen yet. The only problem: so many fountains, so little time. For now, here are a few I’ve come upon, more often than not, unexpectedly.

The Wallace Fountains

As a result of the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871, many aqueducts had been destroyed, and the price of water, already higher than normal, went up considerably. Because of this, most of the poor had to pay for water. The temptation to take to liquor was strong among the lower classes, and it was considered a moral duty to keep them from falling into alcoholism. Even today, when water and hygiene are not a problem for the majority of Parisians, these fountains are often the only sources of free water for the homeless.

Sir Richard Wallace, a wealthy philanthropist, made numerous contributions to Parisian heritage, but the best known today are the fountains which bear his name. There are more than 70 in Paris. Not only did the fountains accomplish Wallace's philosophy of lending a hand to those in need, but they also served to beautify Paris. Most of the fountains still present in the city still work, and distribute, contrary to popular belief, perfectly potable water.

The fountains work from March 15 to November 15 (the risk of freezing during the winter months might damage the internal plumbing), are regularly maintained, and repainted every two years. The material that was used to create them was cast-iron because it was inexpensive, easy to mold, and resistant to the elements. They are an integral part of the Parisian landscape, typical and picturesque. The fountains are a dark green, like all urban development of that era, in order to blend in with the parks and tree-lined avenues. An octagonal pedestal rests on Hauteville stone (a kind of limestone.) Four caryatids are affixed to the pedestal. They are facing outward, and their arms are supporting a pointed dome decorated with dolphins. The water issues from the center of the dome and falls down into a basin that is protected by a grille. The four caryatids represent kindness, simplicity, charity and sobriety. Each one is different from her sisters, by the way she bends her knees and by the way her tunic is draped.

A Wallace Fountain on the rue de Rivoli in the Marais

You can see that it is functioning because of the thin stream of water issuing between the caryatids.

A closer view of the Wallace Fountain

In the background you can see a kiddie carrousel, and directly behind the carrousel is the Saint-Paul metro station.

The other side of the fountain, with a store front in the background

A Wallace Fountain at the Flower Market on the Ile de la Cite

A closer view of the Wallace Fountain at the Flower Market

The Wallace Fountain on display at the Sewers of Paris Museum

La Fontaine de Joyeuse (The Fountain of Joy)

This fountain is located at 41, rue de Turenne in the Marais. It is set back from the sidewalk, built into the façade of a building, and I came across it quite unexpectedly. I was walking on rue de Turenne on the way back from somewhere, maybe la Place des Vosges, when I came upon it. It was charming, and it took some investigating to find out its name. At one time, in 1847, it had a functional use, which was to supply potable water to Parisians. It is the work of Isidore Boitel (1812-1860.) It consists of a half-domed recess sheltering a bronze sculpture representing a young child on a marble pedestal. He holds a jar, and the water from the jar pours into a basin in the shape of shell. On the arched ceiling of the niche, you can see aquatic animals, herons, frogs and snakes in bas-relief. Inscribed at the base of the statue is “Ourcq,” the name of the canal that fed the fountain. The coat of arms of Paris is carved on the upper, outside part of the fountain.

La Fontaine de Joyeuse

La Fontaine de Joyeuse

La Fontaine de la rue des Ursins

This little garden is situated right next to a busy street, la rue des Ursins, which runs directly beside the Seine River. It is angled against the wall and is located near the Quai aux Fleurs, where you’ll find the Flower Market on the Ile de la Cite.

 In between the two sections of the garden, you can see two tigers’ heads from which water issues.

The tigers’ heads

This fountain dates from a time when a fountain was utilitarian rather than decorative.

There doesn’t seem to be a reason for the shape of this garden, but it does kind of look like a ship, and this part of the garden could be the prow of the ship. The coat of arms of Paris includes a ship upon the waters, so this imagery is very common.

A closer view of the square part of the garden (or the rear/aft part of the ship?)

A view of the garden from the opposite end

You can see the ivy climbing up a latticed wall at the far end.

Les Fontaines de l’Hotel de Ville (City Hall)

On the top level of the fountains, there are two globes, which are ivy-covered, at either end of the bank of fountains. (The ivy is trained to cover the globes, which are hollow balls whose surface is metal latticework.) There are five sets of water jets, which graduate downward on either side from an apex, and the water cascades to the basins below. The fountains are a beautiful sight to see when they are illuminated at night.

The fountains at the Hotel de Ville were part of a larger sculptural program, launched by the City of Paris in 1978, to build seven contemporary fountains with sculpture in different squares of Paris. Besides the fountains at the Hotel de Ville, this project included the Stravinsky Fountain at the Pompidou Center, a fountain in the gardens of the Palais Royal, and a revitalization of the area around the former market which had been torn down, Les Halles.

The courtyard of the Hotel de Ville and fountains

The Rue de Rivoli runs alongside one wing of the Hotel de Ville and the fountains.

The Hotel de Ville and fountains, as seen from the Rue de Rivoli

The ivy-covered globe at one end of the fountains

Becky in front of one set of water jets in the fountain

La Fontaine Jussieu on Place Jussieu

Place Jussieu is named after the De Jussieu family of famous botanists and historians of the natural world, several of whom have been associated with the nearby Jardin des Plantes.

  

The fountain features a pool into which water tumbles from a large grey granite disc. It is also called “La bouche de la verite,” ‘The Mouth of Truth” (1993–94), Guy Larrigue, sculptor. The original “Mouth of Truth” dates back to Medieval times. It was a large, round, disk with a man-like face sculpted into it. It is located in the portico of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome, Italy. The sculpture is thought to be part of a 1st century ancient Roman fountain, portraying one of several possible pagan gods. The most famous characteristic of the Mouth, however, is its role as a lie detector. Starting from the Middle Ages, it was believed that if one told a lie with one's hand in the mouth of the sculpture, it would be bitten off. To this day, for visitors to the “Mouth of Truth” in Rome, the temptation to put one’s hand into the mouth is irresistible.

A jet of water reaches the hole in the disk. Or is it the Mouth of Truth?

Another view of the fountain

A closer view of the fountain

The upper part of the disk

The disk from the other side

La Fontaine de la Palais Royal

A double-row of trees runs along both sides of the Garden . The two fenced lawns stretch between these rows of trees and are bordered with flower beds. At both ends of each lawn are enclosed sitting areas with benches. Between the two lawns is a circular pond and fountain. It is a lovely area for enjoying the sun and the sound of splashing water.

The double rows of trees alongside the garden

The expanse of lawn bordered by flower beds

The fountain between the two expanses of lawn

The fountain of the Royal Palace

The fountain of the Royal Palace.

It is said that when King Louis XIV was a child, he played around this fountain, and one day fell in and almost drowned. Historians can only speculate on how the course of French history might have changed had he not survived the dunking.

La Fontaine Cuvier

Georges Cuvier (1769–1832) was a famous naturalist, and pioneer of paleontology and comparative anatomy. This fountain (1840-1846) is located near the Jardin des Plantes and the museum of natural history, where Cuvier had worked. The statue is placed against a wall, with a low basin, water pouring from the heads of reptiles, and a band of human and animal heads. Above that is the figure of a seated woman representing Natural History, surrounded by numerous animals, and holding a tablet with Cuvier's motto: "Rerum cognoscere causas." ("to know the causes of things.") Naturalists pointed out that the crocodile in the group of statues is turning its head, something that crocodiles are unable to do. (The crocodile is at the woman’s feet on her right.)Visconti, who later became famous as the designer of the tomb of Napoleon in the Invalides, designed two other fountains of this new type, commemorating famous Parisians and located in places associated with them.

The Fountain Cuvier on a busy street corner across from an entrance to le Jardin des Plantes

The woman is flanked by a lion, the anatomically incorrect crocodile is below her and many sea creatures are at her feet.

Water pours from a reptile’s mouth into the low, semi-circular basin.

Two reptiles don’t create much of a flow of water.

A view of the reptile and basin from the far left of the fountain

Les Fontaines de la Place des Vosges

La Place des Vosges is the oldest square in Paris, built by Henry IV between 1605 and 1612. An equestrian statue of Louis XIII is in the middle of the square. The original fountain by Pierre Simon Girard in the Place des Vosges was replaced in 1830 by the current four fountains, designed by Jean-François-Julien Ménager, a student of Vaudoyer, winner of the prix de Rome, and architect of the City of Paris. The new fountains are made of volcanic stone from Volvic in the Auvergne, and have two circular basins, one above the other, with lions' heads spouting water into the circular basin.

One of the four fountains in the Place des Vosges

A closer look at the fountain (on this day, only one of the 4 fountains was working.)

The fountain

Notice the stately residences that surround this square. The square itself is lovely, but its surroundings, including the arcade, with many art galleries, restaurants, and even the home of Victor Hugo, and these homes, make the square picturesque.

The sculpture of Louis XIII on horseback is in the middle of the Place des Vosges.

A worker is raking leaves on the Place des Vosges.

La Fontaine de la Place Maubert

A little surprise garden sits in the middle of a busy intersection with a fountain surrounded by grass and flowers. It is believed that this fountain was built in memory of a well-known citizen of the time. Water flows from the finial at the top of the fountain and from several places on the upper, urn-like section to the bowl below, and from there into the catch basin. On the pedestal, there are four faces, and water issues from their mouths into the basin as well.

The garden on a busy street where the fountain is located

A V-shaped flowerbed at the apex of the triangle-like garden

The garden and fountain

The fountain of the Place Maubert

The fountain with pigeon perched on the bowl

La Fontaine de la rue Bazeilles

A simple fountain built in 1990 by the sculptor Guy Larrigue. (He also did the Jussieu fountain--do  you recognize his simple, sleek style?) The central pedestal supports two bowls. Jets of water shoot up from the basin into the topmost smaller bowl, fall into the next larger bowl and finally into the basin again.

The fountain sits at the end of the very short street, rue Bazeilles, and at the very start of the Avenue des Gobelins. Rue Monge and Rue Claude Bernard also converge at the same intersection in the fifth arrondissement. In the background, you can see the fountain at the foot of rue Mouffetard.

Avenue des Gobelins

The fountain and Avenue des Gobelins

La Fountaine de la rue Bazeilles

This sculptor does no-nonsense fountains. At first, they seem uncomplicated, but then you notice how the jets of water start in the basin,  shoot into the upper bowl and then splash down into the second bowl. It's still kind of stark-looking, maybe because there is no grass or flowers around it to soften the effect, but it's still lovely and makes a lot of pleasant splashing-water sounds. The sounds of water are a welcome contrast to the sounds of traffic on this busy street.

The upper tiers of the fountain

The top of the fountain

La Fontaine de la Place Saint-Michel

Fontaine Saint-Michel (1860) is the best-known fountain of Davioud. Built as part of Baron Haussmann's grand project for the reconstruction of Paris, Davioud was required to make a wall fountain hiding the wall of a building at the corner of boulevard Saint-Michel and Saint-André des Arts. His design featured a structure like a triumphal arch with a statue of Napoleon Bonaparte, but this aroused opposition by the opponents of Louis Napoleon, so it was changed to a statue of the Archangel Michael wrestling with the devil. Nine sculptors worked on the different figures in the composition. It was the last monumental fountain in Paris built against a wall, a style that had been borrowed from Italy. Later fountains would be free-standing, in the center of squares or parks.

Saint Michael vanquishing the devil

The triumphant Michael

One of the griffins

The opposite griffin

A closer view

Water cascading down the tiers of the fountain

So far, you and I have seen a lot of fountains, but we haven’t even come close to seeing them all. This will be a goal for my next visit to Paris. In the meantime, if you are interested, there is a fairly recent publication (in French) that lists the fountains in Paris: Les Fontaines de Paris: l’eau pour le plaisir. (The Fountains of Paris: water that pleases/water for pleasure/water for the beauty of it) This tome, published in 2008, is almost 600 pages long and includes 400 photos and a discussion of every fountain in Paris, from the most insignificant, utilitarian water faucet to the most elaborate, imposing, artistic and ornate Parisian fountain.

 

 

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