Fontaine de la Rotonde

Fontaine de la Rotonde in 1910.
Fontaine de la Rotonde in 2008.

The Fontaine de la Rotonde is a historic fountain in Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.

Location

It is located on the Place de la Rotonde, at the bottom of the Cours Mirabeau in the centre of Aix-en-Provence.[1][2][3][4]

History

The Place de la Rotonde was built from 1840 to 1850.[1] Ten years later, in 1860, Théophile de Tournadre designed this fountain.[1][2][3][4]

It is 32 metre wide and 12 metre high.[3] It is surrounded by bronze sculptures of twelve lions, sirens, swans, and angels on the backs of dolphins.[3] At the top of the fountain are three sculptures of female figures presenting Justice (towards the Cours Mirabeau), Agriculture (towards Marseille) and the Fine Arts (towards Avignon).[1][3][4] They were sculpted by Joseph-Marius Ramus (1805-1888), Hippolyte Ferrat (1822-1882) and Louis-Félix Chabaud (1824-1902).[1][3]

The water first came from the Zola Canal built in 1854.[1] In 1875, it came from the Verdon Canal.[1] It now comes from the Canal de Provence.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 City of Aix-en-Provence: Place de la Rotonde
  2. 1 2 City of Aix-en-Provence: Fountains
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Aix en provence: Pays Aixois et Salonais, Petit Futé, 2010, p. 139
  4. 1 2 3 Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince, Cheryl A. Pientka, France For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, 2007, p. 377

Coordinates: 43°31′35″N 5°26′43″E / 43.5263°N 5.4454°E / 43.5263; 5.4454


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