Fountain of the Chariot of the Triumph of the Concorde, Fountain in Bordeaux, France
The Fontaine du Char du Triomphe de la Concorde is a large bronze fountain on the esplanade des Quinconces in Bordeaux, positioned on the side facing the Chartrons neighborhood. It forms a pair with a second fountain flanking the Monument aux Girondins, and features a triumphal chariot pulled by four bronze horses, surrounded by figures and sea creatures.
The fountain was built between 1894 and 1902 as part of the Monument aux Girondins project on the esplanade. During World War II its bronze elements were dismantled, and though they returned to Bordeaux after the war, restoration only came in the 1980s.
The Fontaine du Char du Triomphe de la Concorde shows a woman seated on a throne holding an olive branch, standing for peace. Around her, a worker and a city dweller shake hands, making the idea of social harmony something you can read directly in the bronze.
The fountain sits on the esplanade des Quinconces and is easy to reach on foot from the city center. It is lit up at night, so it is worth visiting in the evening as well.
The four horses pulling the chariot are not ordinary horses: they have fish tails, scales, and reptile features, a hybrid form known in sculpture as hippocamps. Three small bronze statuettes representing liberty, equality, and fraternity disappeared after World War II and have never been recovered.
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