Did you know ? Discover the history of the fountains of Toulouse
The city of Toulouse is full of fountains. In fact, there will be more than 190 water points in the pink city, the oldest of which bears witness to five centuries of history. The Independent Opinion tells you the origin of the essential fountains From toulouse.
The Belle Paule fountain
Toulouse residents can see it at the corner of rue de la Concorde and rue Falguière. The Belle-Paule fountain was built in 1910 at the initiative of the Toulouse pharmacist Octave Sage. In May 1905, he bequeathed to the city of Toulouse 20,000 francs to build a monumental fountain with a basin to beautify its neighborhood. To do so, the artist Laporte Blairsy will be chosen. This building represents Clemence Isaure, nicknamed “la belle Paule”, lady of the Floral Games. She was arrested on May 3, 1913, anniversary of the first Floral Games. The latter watches over a marble column of crystalline appearance on which the bodies of young girls are sketched. Children, flowers and monsters in the shape of snakes are also represented there. Flowers and lianas support turtles erect on their hind legs which spit water. Toads and disturbing gargoyles complete this “fauna”. Electricity and lighting were redone in 1996.
Fountain Olivier
She replaced the source of Los Very Canellos. The Olivier fountain was built in 1886 to commemorate the floods of June 23, 1875 who ravaged the neighborhood Saint Cyprian and took the lives of 210 people. On the outer piles of the building, inscriptions recall the name of the donor, as well as the mourning that struck the inhabitants. Designed by Dargasiesit is a gift from the patron Mr. Hyppolite Olivier for the city of Toulouse. At the time, this fountain was useful for residents. For good reason, it was equipped with drinking water terminals and a trough for animals. If its upper part is identical to that of the fountain in the square Salengro, its base is exuberant. It features dragonfly children, pot-bellied and chubby lying on rocks at the foot of a nymph. A circular gallery raised by five steps surrounded by the basin.
The Ariège-Garonne fountain
You can admire it right out of the Metro Palace of Justice. Formerly installed in the Jardin des Plantes, the Ariège-Garonne fountain has been embedded since 1982 in a blind wall of Place Lafourcade, in the Saint-Michel district. This building is signed by the hand of the neo-baroque sculptor Alexandre Laporte. It measures 8 m high, 6 m wide and represents the Garonne, a “busty, heroic and triumphant young woman who surrounds the rock from which her source escapes, while the Ariège, a slender young girl, seated at her feet, holding an overturned jug joins her. This sculpted group is located in a freestone niche. A first basin receives the water from the jug which then flows into the large basin”. This fountain is the subject of renovation work carried out by the City of Toulouse. These include the restoration of the sculptures, the gable wall, the basins and the lighting, not to mention the restoration of the upper hydraulic circuit.
The fountain of the closed wells
Needless to say on which place the fountain of the closed wells is installed. The building stands out from a brick-clad wall topped with a pediment. The edifice consists of four Corinthian columns of pink marble once placed on the site of thechurch of the Dalbade. Formerly stored in the Musée des Augustins, the Psyche of Pierre-Bernard Prouha ornate since 1984 the center of this set thanks to the scheduling of Bernard Calley. Weepholes embedded in the wall feed the wells of the fountain. It will be necessary to wait until 1998 before the electricity and the lighting are restored.
Fountain Boulbonne
Work of the Toulouse sculptor labatutFountain Boulbonne is located at the corner of the eponymous street and Cantegril. It was built in place of the Quatre Carrés well and leans against a blind wall covered with bricks. It also includes curves and reverse curves. A style inspired by other buildings in the square. A allegory of the Garonne, providing electrical energy to the city of Toulouse, resting on the central plinth. Water springs from the heads of lions and flows into three circular basins located at the foot of this set. In 1984, the architect Bernard Calley you have undertaken embellishment work. Thirteen years later, it is the turn of the gable wall and the lighting to see the light of day.
Fountain Dupuy
As its name suggests, the fountain Dupuy is located on the eponymous square, formerly called Place Dauphin. Of its 19.20 m high, she is the most monumental in toulouse. It was built between 1829 and 1832 according to Urban’s plans Vitryto recall the merits of General Dupuy commanding an army under Bonaparte. The column is numbered with a statue, “Lady Tholosis ” of Nicholas Bachelor, performed in 1550. Formerly located at the top of the archives tower (Donjon du Capitole), Violet-le-Duc brought it down. Decked out with two laurel wreaths, the Lady thus transformed into “Fame” was then installed above the imposing fountain Dupuy. It was cast by Claude Peillot on a mold composed by Jean Rancy. The monumental part was removed in 1996. It will be necessary to wait until 2005 so that the statue of Dame Tholoze be removed from the fountain for restoration, before returning to the Musée des Augustins. It is a cast that will take its place.
The Saint-Etienne fountain
Witness of five centuries of historyit’s the oldest preserved fountain in Toulouse. Dating from XVIth century, the Griffoul fountain, meaning “gushing spring” in the Langue d’Oc, illustrates the style of the Toulouse Renaissance. The first element was the marble basin, built in 1584 according to the plans of the architect Jean Rancy. At that time, the fountain received the waters of Guilheméry, extracted in the current Caousou park. The current decoration of the fountain dates from 1593. That year, the sculptor Antoine Bachelier erected a pedestal in the middle of the basin with four niches housing bronze marmosets. These were melted by Pierre Chevenet in such a way that they gave the impression of relieving themselves in the basin. Above, four bronze balls on request stand a red and white marble obelisk from Sarrancolin were installed.
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The Trinity Fountain
This one is well known to Toulouse epicureans. For good reason, it is located on the square of the same name, today taken for the bars and cafes that are installed there. The fountain of the Trinity was the first from which we saw spouting ornamental sheaves. The building was built in 1826 by Urbain Vitry. The architect Raynaud had been Urban’s unfortunate rival Vitry in the competition organized for the reinforced Trinity fountain in the old herb market.
It consists of three circular steps in Carcassonne stone supporting a marble basin of 5 m in diameter. In the middle of the pool stands a triangular plinth with curved sides in white marble from Saint-Béat, decorated with three bronze lion heads. The base and the marble group are carved by Layer–Capel. The water pours out of the basin before being rejected in the lower basin by the heads of lions. At the bottom of the steps, three fountains then deliver the water to local residents.
The square fountain Rouaix
We owe this building to the architect Raynaud. The square fountain Rouaix was created in 1828. At the origin of its construction, residents who provided half of the funding. It is composed of stones covered with white marble slabs. It is sheltered by a gable roof with pontoons at the ends, ornamented in the ancient style. Water escaping from two bronze lion heads.