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  2. Patrimoine
  3. Nouvelle-Aquitaine
  4. Gironde
  5. 33000 Bordeaux

  6. Fountain of the Grave of Bordeaux

 Fountain of the Grave of Bordeaux en Gironde

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Fontaine
Gironde

Fountain of the Grave of Bordeaux

    Quai des Salinières
    33000 Bordeaux
Ownership of the municipality
Museums of France
All fountains, wells and toilets classified in France
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Fontaine de la Grave de Bordeaux
Crédit photo : Langladure - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1700
1800
1900
2000
1708
First fountain
1735
Rehabilitation
26 février 1788
Reconstruction order
avril 1788
Technical plan
1788
Current construction
23 mai 1925
MH classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

18th Century Fountain (not cadastralized): inscription by decree of 23 May 1925

Key figures

Pierre Goyer de la Rochette - Entrepreneur Signatory of the market of 1708 for the first fountain.
Étienne Dardan - Architect Rehabilitates the fountain in 1735.
François Bonfin - Architect Participated in the rehabilitation of 1735.
Richard-François Bonfin - Architect of the Town Hall Designed and rebuilt the fountain in 1788.

Origin and history

The Fountain de la Grave, also known as the Fountain des Salinières, was built in 1788 by architect Richard-François Bonfin. Placed on the Quai des Salinières, it consists of an octagonal central column placed on a square base, surrounded by four mascarons spitting water in basins. Its design is inspired by ancient motifs, with vegetal concretions carved at the top and a garland of stone decorated with the coats of arms of Bordeaux (croissant entrelacés). A hatch in the drum provided access to the hydraulic mechanism in the column.

The initial fountain, fed by the source of the Gold, dates from a market passed in 1708 between the jurats of Bordeaux and Pierre Goyer de la Rochette. Rehabilitated in 1735 by Étienne Dardan and François Bonfin, it was completely rebuilt in 1788 by Richard-François Bonfin, architect of the Hôtel de Ville. The latter moved it north to align it with Place de la Grave and Rue des Faures (former Pichadey Street). Prior to the construction of the Pierre Bridge in 1819, it served as an essential water source for the Bordelais and crews of the vessels moored at the Moon Harbour.

Ranked a historic monument on May 23, 1925, the fountain symbolizes the ingenuity of 18th-century water supply systems. Its rectangular base, decorated with lion heads and bay leaves, illustrates the know-how of Bordeaux artisans. The interlaced crescents, emblems of the city, recall its central role in the daily and maritime life of Bordeaux. Today, it remains an architectural testimony to the city's urban and port history.

Historical sources also mention a technical cut established in April 1788, revealing a central cavity in the column intended for the springing mechanism. This fountain is part of a series of hydraulic installations designed to modernize the city, reflecting the hygienist and aesthetic concerns of the time. Its strategic location, between the Garonne and the Saint-Michel district, made it a gathering place before the industrial era.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum