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Origin and history

The Jarente fountain, also known as the Poissonnerie fountain or the Ormesson fountain, was built in 1783 as part of the renovation of the district after the destruction of the priory Sainte-Catherine-du-Val-des-Écoliers (1773-1774). This urban project gave rise to new streets, including the rue de Jarente, and to the Place du Marché-Sainte-Catherine, where fish merchants settled. The fountain was built to meet their water needs, according to the plans of Mr Caron, master general of the king's buildings.

The fountain presents itself as an architectural massif backed at the bottom of the impasse of the Poissonnerie. It is framed by two pilasters and surmounted by a triangular pediment, decorated with a bas-relief representing a beam of lictor, dolphins and horns of abundance. Two side doors, decorated with roses, lead to a rear building. A bronze mascaron at the head of a satyre, near the ground, let a net of water escape. The "freezing" style adorns the pilasters and lintel, while a pyramidal composition extends the structure up to 7 meters high.

Ranked a historic monument by decree of 17 June 1925, the fountain illustrates the utilitarian and decorative architecture of the 18th century in Paris. Its location, in a narrow stalemate, and its sculptural elements make it a rare evidence of hydraulic developments related to the markets of the time. Ancient photographs, such as those of Eugene Atget (1898), document his evolution in the urban landscape.

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