Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The fountain of the Innocents, originally called the fountain of the Nymphs, was built around 1260 near the church of the Saints-Innocents to supply water to Paris via terracotta ducts. It marked a symbolic stage during the royal entrances, such as Charles V or Charles VIII, linking the Basilica of St.Denis to the Palace of the City. This first medieval building, fed by the sources of the Pre-Saint-Gervais, also served neighbouring convents and priories.

In 1548, under Henri II, architect Pierre Lescot and sculptor Jean Goujon replaced it with a three-archcade Renaissance loggia, decorated with five naiades and mythological bas-reliefs. This monument celebrated the king's solemn entry into Paris after his sacredness. Corinthian pilasters, triangular pediments and water-throwing mascarons made it a classic elegance model inspired by antiquity. The original bas-reliefs, threatened by erosion, are now preserved in the Louvre.

At the end of the 18th century, after the removal of the Innocent Cemetery and the demolition of the church (1785), the fountain was moved to the centre of a new market square. Transformed into a tetrapyle (square papillon) by architects Poyet, Legrand and Molinos, it won a fourth face carved by Augustin Pajou in 1788, imitating the style of Goujon. Lions at angles and a cupola in fish scales crown the whole, while superimposed pools replace the original base.

In 1860, when the Innocent Square was created (replaced in 1973), architect Gabriel Davioud re-centered the fountain and added a pyramidal base to six basins, surrounded by a circular basin. This redevelopment is part of the Haussmannian transformations of Paris, where fountains become major decorative elements of new public spaces.

Ranked a historic monument in 1862, the fountain underwent major restoration between 2023 and 2024, for a cost of 5 million euros. Since 2017, due to unstable foundations, it has been completely renovated: modernized hydraulic system (UV treatment, flow-variator), LED lighting, and replacement of the original naïdes (now at the Petit Palais) with resin copies. Watered on 27 June 2024, it now welcomes visitors to the Olympic Games.

The ornaments of the fountain combine two epochs: the mythological Naiads and bas-reliefs of Jean Goujon (16th century), the first examples of ancient decorations in the French public space, and the neoclassical additions of Augustin Pajou (1788). The five original Naiads, deposited in 2024, were exhibited at the Musée Carnavalet before their transfer to the Petit Palais. The bas-reliefs of the base, disassembled in 1788, remain at the Louvre, testifying to the artistic evolution of the monument.

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