Did you know that there are over 200 fountains in the French capital?
The commonest ones are the Wallace fountains. There are about a hundred of these easily recognisable dark green fountains scattered throughout Paris.
An integral part of the urban landscape, these fountains are essentially utilitarian. They were named for Richard Wallace, who financed the construction of about 50 drinking water fountains to quench the thirst of passers-by in the 19th century. The other fountains of Paris date to various eras of its history.

The list includes:

• The Fontaine de la Victoire
  Located in the centre of Place du Châtelet, this fountain with its four sphinxes is also called “Fontaine du Châtelet” or “Fontaine du Palmier” because of the palm trees on its capital. It was built in homage to Napoleon’s military victories.

• The Fontaine Saint-Michel is one of the most notable works by the 19th century sculptor Gabriel Davioud. Commissioned by Baron Haussmann, the fountain is the centrepiece of Place Saint-Michel and a landmark of the Latin Quarter.

• The Fontaine Stravinsky, also called the “Fontaine des automates”, is located near the Pompidou Centre. Inaugurated in 1983, it has a huge basin decorated with 16 moving sculptures by Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle.

• The two fountains that adorn the centre of the Place de la Concorde are dedicated to river and sea navigation respectively; the eight statues represent the main cities of France during the 19th century (Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rouen, Brest, Lille et Strasbourg).

• The fountains at the Jardin du Trocadéro are a series of cascading basins dominated by a large central basin with 20 water cannons throwing about 50 sprays called “les grandes eaux”. The fountain is a popular spot to cool off on a hot summer day.

ED

Photo D.R.