Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Fountain of Joyeuse, also known as Fountain Saint-Louis, is located at 41 rue de Turenne, in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. It replaces an earlier fountain, built in 1687 in the location of a 16th century mansion (Marc Miron's hotel, now gone). This first fountain, already named Joyeuse, was demolished in 1847 to give way to the present, as part of a municipal programme designed to provide the Faubourg Saint-Antoine—then densely populated—with public access to drinking water via the Ourcq Canal.

The current fountain, designed in 1847, is distinguished by its neoclassical style: a three-metre-wide edicle, open from an ionic arcade with a cul-de-four niche. The coat of arms of the City of Paris adorn its entablement. Inside, a zinc statue represents a child pouring water from a jar marked "OURCQ", overlooking a shell basin and a semicircular basin. The decoration includes a bas-relief of aquatic animals (herons, frogs, swans) among reeds, as well as a bronze mascaron evacuating water.

The fountain was carved by Isidore-Romain Boitel (1812–60), an artist who also worked on contemporary fountains such as the Rocket. Ranked a historic monument in 1925, it was restored in 2008 and illuminated in the evening, although its interior is no longer accessible. His name inspired in 1949 a fantastic tale by Jean-Louis Bouquet, The Fountain of Joyeuse, mixing French Revolution and 20th century.

This fountain is part of a series of Parisian water facilities in the mid-19th century, meeting the growing water needs of an expanding urban population. Its architecture and décor reflect the utilitarian aesthetic and adorned with the public fountains of the period, combining functionality and embellishment of the urban landscape.

External links