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Origin and history

The Château d'eau de Bourges, built between 1865 and 1867 in the Cher department, is a neoclassical work designed to supply the city with water. Inaugurated on 18 August 1867 by Mayor Pierre Planchat, it was supplied by a collection plant located in the Auron Valley. Its architecture, signed by engineer Paul-Adrien Bourdalouë and architect Albert Tissandier, is distinguished by a sober dressing and sculptures by Jules Dumoutet, local artist. Measuring 14.70 meters high for 29 meters in diameter, it combined public utility and monumental aesthetics.

Originally, the castle had a central basin surrounded by a horse-drawn iron staircase leading to a fountain, which was sheltered under a concave niche decorated with pediments. These elements, partially dismantled, left room for a grassy slope to access the old fountain. The set was inserted into a classic composition, with a forebody decorated with batteries and side niches. Disused in 1940, it was preserved by its inscription in historical monuments on 29 October 1975.

Since 1999, the monument has been converted into a cultural place called "Castle d'eau - Château d'art", dedicated to the visual and contemporary arts. It hosts exhibitions, performances and projects carried by local associations such as Bandits-Mages, Emmetrop, or the École nationale supérieure d'art de Bourges. This redevelopment has helped preserve its heritage while offering it a new vocation in the service of artistic creation.

The castle illustrates the evolution of urban infrastructure in the 19th century, where utility was married to architecture. Its history also reflects the changes in Bourges, moving from a technical need (water supply) to a heritage and cultural issue. Today, he embodies both the civil engineering of his time and the artistic dynamism of the city.

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