Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Pont-de-Cité fountain, also known as the Neptune fountain, is an emblematic work of the city of Arras, erected between 1864 and 1865. It stands on Pont-de-Cité Square, at the corner of the streets of 29-Jullet and Saint-Aubert, on the site of the old ramparts of the City, hence its first name of "Terrore-de-Cité". Its architecture and sculptures make it a remarkable testimony of public art of the Second Empire in the Hauts-de-France.

The fountain is the work of architect François Constant Auguste Bourgois, native of Arras, while the main sculpture, entitled River, is signed by the sculptor Vital-Dubray and melted by the Ducel foundry in Pocé-sur-Cisse. It was classified as a historical monument by order of 7 July 1988, including the fountain itself, the wall on which it is backed and the ground right-of-way formerly bounded by a grid.

Its monumental style and central location make it a key element of the Arras urban heritage. The fountain illustrates the importance of hydraulic and decorative developments in French cities in the 19th century, reflecting both a desire to embellish and a celebration of the technical progress of the time.

The protection as a historical monument underlines its artistic value and its anchoring in local history. The sources, such as the works of Constant Le Gentil (The Old Arras, 1877), confirm its role in the collective memory of the city, between medieval heritage (the ramparts) and modernity of the Second Empire.

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