Sun fountain, Fountain in Nice, France
Fontaine du Soleil is a monumental fountain on Place Masséna in Nice, with a tall pale stone statue of Apollo rising from the center. The god stands above a wide basin where dark bronze figures of deities and horses sit near the water jets.
Alfred Janniot designed the fountain during the period between the world wars, but it was not installed until 1956. After local objections to the nude statue, the figures were removed and kept away from the square for years before returning in 2011.
Visitors still joke about the nickname some locals gave Apollo after the fountain appeared, comparing the four horses above his head to a popular small car of the time. Today the statue is accepted as one of the symbols of Nice at the end of Place Masséna.
The fountain sits in an open paved square surrounded by red buildings, so there is space to walk around and view the sculptural groups from any side. The basin is shallow with a low stone edge, making it easy to get close without barriers.
The statue first stood in the atrium of the town hall and then at a stadium before returning to the fountain. The sculptor even reduced the size of the figure’s genitals in an attempt to calm the complaints.
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