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Fontaine de la Vierge

Fontaine de la Vierge is a fountain in Paris’s 4th arrondissement, located in Place Jean-XXIII behind the apse of Notre-Dame Cathedral, near the site of the former rue de l’Abreuvoir. It is a very slender triangular structure about ten meters high. The base has three faces with beveled angles, giving it the appearance of an irregular hexagon. Each corner holds an archangel statue standing on a small pedestal from which water flows. Above the base are three columns supporting a toothed spire, with a Virgin and Child by Louis Merlieux at the center. The structure stands in a six-sided basin on a hexagonal base.

Monochrome ink sketch of the Fontaine de la Vierge, a Gothic monument with a tall ornate structure and small figures at the base.
Sketch of the Fontaine de la Vierge, showing its Gothic-style tower-like form and sculpted base.
© Leymonnerye, Léon (1803 - 1879), dessinateur · CC0
Fontaine de la Vierge monument in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral with its spire and flying buttresses.
Fontaine de la Vierge stands before Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
March 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Fontaine de la Vierge monument in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral, with a stepped basin and red flowers at its base.
The Fontaine de la Vierge stands in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral, framed by the church’s gothic architecture.
2006 © Photos by Senior Airman Sarah Gregory · Public domain
Fontaine de la Vierge monument in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral with flying buttresses and spire in the background.
The Fontaine de la Vierge stands in the foreground with Notre-Dame Cathedral rising behind it.
August 1993 © · CC0
An archival album page with four octagonal black-and-white photographs, including views of a monument and Paris street scenes.
Archival album page featuring four black-and-white photographs, including views of the Fontaine de la Vierge and nearby Paris scenes.
· Public domain

Identification

TitleFontaine de la Vierge
TypeFountain
Alternative namesLa fuente de la Virgen; fountain of the Archdiocese; Notre-Dame fountain

Historical context

Date1845
PurposeTo equip Square Jean-XXIII, then called Square de l'Archevêché, which had been created the previous year

Creator

DesignerAlphonse Vigoureux
Central figure sculptorLouis Merlieux

Iconography and meaning

Depicted figureThe Virgin Mary

Physical characteristics

Pedestals under archangelsSmall pedestals from which water flows
BasinSix-sided basin on a hexagonal base, with three straight sides and three semicircular sides
Central sculptureVirgin and Child set on a pillar in the center of the columns
Upper structureThree columns supporting a serrated spire
Base anglesThree
ArchangelsThree archangel statues, one at each angle
BaseThree-sided base with chamfered angles, appearing as an irregular hexagon
HeightAbout 10 meters
Overall formTriangular, very slender structure

Location and ownership

Current locationPlace Jean-XXIII, Square Jean-XXIII, 4th district of Paris, France, behind the apse of Notre-Dame Cathedral
Former location nameSquare de l'Archevêché
Site relationApproximately on the site of the former rue de l'Abreuvoir
SettingIn the center of a grass parterre

Other

Photo captionPhoto dated June 27, 2010; Paris, square Jean-XXIII; close-up view; statuary group; detail of the Virgin seen from behind; basin