Freschezza e ritorno alle origini: le fontane di Parigi

Command of Baron Haussmann, located at the corner of Boulevard Saint Michel and the Place Saint André des Arts, the polychrome fountain 26m high and 15m wide in 1860, it was originally intended to receive a statue of Napoleon 1 but it was erected in memory of a former chapel of Saint Michel de l' Ile de la Cité. If the profusion of statues affects the coherence of the whole, however, it has some merit. More than allegory of the victory of good over evil, it is a representation of the alchemical work. Saint Michael slaying the dragon does not kill him, he disciplines energy to use, it indicates the completion of the Work. As Hermes, placed at the crossroads of life and death, the saint, placed at the intersection of the square and the boulevard, weighs souls and its upper position, dominates the three worlds represented by the three steps. Both chimeras symbolize time and nature, the course of life.

This very romantic fountain in the freshness of the trees was built for the Luxembourg Palace by Francine on the request of Marie de Medici wishing to enjoy again the atmosphere of the Boboli Gardens. It remains the only trace of the exterior decorative elements provided by the Queen for his new palace. Originally composed as a cave, it contained a basin which will become a fountain in the 19th century after its redesign. In 1860 the Baron Haussmann's work will require a moving. It will be implemented in 1862 , the fountain will be closer to the palace, it is associated a long pool lined with plane trees . In the central niche: a representative group Acis and Galatea extended under a rock and monitored by Polyphemus. The side recesses are occupied by one a huntress and the other by a faun. On the eastern façade is the fountain of Leda, also moved during the construction of the rue de Rennes. This is one of the most beautiful place in Paris.

This Egyptian Revival fountain built in 1806 rested on the wall, it is one of ornamental fountains commissioned by Napoleon 1st. Its implementation follows the Egyptian campaign. The statue is based on the representation of Antinous, a favorite of the Emperor Hadrian, the original statue was brought as spoils of war after the Italian campaign, it can be seen now in the Vatican Museum. Carved in a stone of poor quality, the character was replaced in 1844. Atop the building the imperial eagle has replaced the solar disk, the water flowed from two amphorae placed in the hands of the fellah. Currently, the water no longer flows but the restart is planned. This exotic and unobtrusive fountain deserves greater attention from the authorities responsible for maintenance attention

Located at the corner of the dry Tree's street and the rue Saint Honoré, this fountain is fed by water from Arcueil. His first built was in 1529, it owes it to Jean Goujon, it was rebuilt in 1606, moved in 1636 and restored in 1775 by Soufflot . It is decorated with a gargoyle and a bas-relief representing a nymph. The building that supports the fountain was occupied by fountain until to the 20th century, became the Consulate of Andorra, once empty, it was then squatted by an artist collective before becoming a creative laboratory. The name of Trahoir may be from an old word for a drawer, the fountain was placed at a very busy intersection, there was a market, it was also the seat of executions, gallows, wheel of torture and the occasional pyres have long adorned the decor. It is at this crossroads that began in 1648 the Frondewhich agitated the kingdom of France for five years.

This fountain Halles district probably dates from the 12th century, it was placed in the center of the cemetery of the Innocents (Joachim Du Bellay current place) that is to say how much the water was polluted because of the decomposition of the bodies. Moved in 1548 , it is against the church of the Holy Innocents (about 40 meters north west of the site in relation to its current location) , built by Pierre Lescot and decorated by Jean Goujon, it is then in the form an open loggia. It will be moved again after the disappearance of the church and cemetery in the late 18th century. Isolated in the middle of an area destined to become a market, it will be reworked and in 1788 a fourth facade that the sculptor will strive to achieve in the spirit of Jean Goujon. In 1860, it will be moved again to come decorate the square who succeeded current market became useless due to the construction of halls Baltard.

Napoléon a décidé en 1806 la création de cinq fontaines supplémentaires pour améliorer l'approvisionnement en eau de Paris. À l'heure actuelle il n'y a pas plus de cinq (y compris la fontaine de la Fellah rencontré plus tôt). La fontaine de palme (ou fontaine de la Victoire) a été créée en 1808 par François-Jean Bralle. Il s'agit d'une colonne de 22 mètres de haut surmonté d'une capitale égyptienne. Il doit son nom à la présence de feuilles de palmier au sommet, il commémore les victoires de l'Empire. Boizot a décoré la fontaine avec plusieurs statues, l'une d'entre elles représentant la Victoire domine le bâtiment, il détient lauriers main à la base on trouve quatre allégories: Prudence, Justice, Force et de vigilance. Plus modeste en taille originale, la fontaine sera récompensé lors de sa visite en 1858 une nouvelle base et une piscine gardé par des sphinx. Il est bordé par le théâtre de la Ville et le Théâtre du Châtelet.

This is one of the oldest fountains in Paris, his flow resulted from a capture sources of Belleville. Quoted from a 1392 in a letter patent of Charles VI, it is a fountain of water of poor quality : Mau stream : the bad fog. It was at the origin in a space now occupied by the Pompidou Centre (the Maubuée street was situated in the extension of the street Simon Lefranc. The half of this ancient street, between the street Brisemiche and the Beaubourg's street, disappeared during the destruction of islet unhealthy. It was moved in 1934 to its current position occupied at the corner of Venice and Saint Martin. It was sung by François Villon. His bas relief Dating back to 1733, it represents a rock vase surrounded by marine plants and reeds, we owe it to John and Jean-Baptiste Beausire.

René Viviani square is located north of the church of St. Julien le Pauvre on the former site of an annex of the Hotel god, it contains a well in the center of the 12th century, carved stones, remains of building religious and elegant contemporary fountain, made by George Mosse Jeanclos it was established in 1996 in honor of the Jewish children died in deportation. The fountain is beautiful, but it is made even more interesting by the proximity of Paris more viel tree, a tree planted in 1601, acacia plants which were given to Jean Robin (1550-1629), director of Garden Apothecary by his friend John Tradescant the Elder. Since then, the tree watches over the city from the top of its 15 meters and its 3.50m circumference, powered by water from the well he rocks the fountain's children's soul.