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Origin and history

Fossati Fountain is a Louis XVI Baroque fountain located in the 1st arrondissement of Marseille. In 1778 it was commissioned by the city of Dominique Fossati for 12,000 pounds and was originally erected in honour of Necker in the present place of General de Gaulle. It is the only fountain listed at the Historic Monuments of Marseille, a status obtained in 1941. Its style reflects the artistic influences of the time, mixing elegance and political symbolism.

The fountain has experienced several movements over the centuries. In 1825, it was transferred to the crossing of Dugommier and Athens Boulevards, then in 1863 to the place of the Capucines (formerly place of the Laid) for reasons of traffic. Originally, it was to be surmounted by a globe and an eagle, as evidenced by a 1785 engraving. Although the initial eagle was not attested, a double imperial white marble was commissioned in 1805 by the sculptor Hardigny, laid in 1809 by Chinard, and then destroyed by the crowd in 1814 during the fall of the Empire.

The fountain is distinguished by its structure adorned with four lions bearing an obelisk, surrounded by dolphins and child sculptures on a sea turtle. These elements symbolize water control and power, while evoking a rivalry with Aix-en-Provence, then capital of Provence. Latin inscription HON. DOMI. FOSSATI IRU and FECIT pay tribute to its creator, Dominique Fossati. The fountain has also inspired faience reproductions by the manufacture of widow Perrin, a copy of which is kept at the Cantini Museum.

His artistic history was marked by pictorial representations, such as that of Impressionist painter Felix Ziem, who immortalized him in a work around 1839. These artistic testimonies underline its cultural importance in the Marseille landscape. Fossati fountain remains a symbol of the city's architectural and historical heritage, reflecting the political and artistic evolutions of its time.

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