Fontaine Royale, Ornamental fountain at Place Royale, Nantes, France.
The Fontaine Royale features a central white marble female figure holding a trident, surrounded by bronze allegories representing the Loire River and its tributaries, along with eight bronze spirits symbolizing local nineteenth-century economic activities.
Inaugurated in 1865 by creators Daniel Ducommun de Locle, Guillaume Grootaërs, and Henri-Théodore Driollet, this fountain was built during the Second Empire to celebrate Nantes' economic prosperity and beautify the urban space of Place Royale.
The fourteen original statues illustrate Nantes' identity by highlighting historical connections with river navigation, viticulture, metallurgy, and industry, demonstrating the city's economic dynamism during the nineteenth century and its maritime heritage.
Daily flash visits occur at eleven o'clock in the morning without prior booking, lasting approximately twenty to thirty minutes, and visitors can easily access the site via public transportation and parking facilities at Commerce, Graslin, or Decré-Bouffay.
Since summer 2024, artist Willem de Haan temporarily replaces the classical statues with hyperrealistic sculptures representing contemporary Nantes residents chosen based on their professions or social contributions, creating dialogue between urban past and present.
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