Fontaine Saint Julien Le Pauvre, Fountain in the 5th arrondissement, Paris, France
The Fontaine Saint-Julien le Pauvre is a small stone fountain set in Square René Viviani in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, just beside the church of the same name. It was made by sculptor Georges Jeanclos and features a carved stone figure representing the story of the church's patron saint.
Georges Jeanclos created the fountain in the 20th century, drawing on Gustave Flaubert's 19th-century retelling of the legend of Saint Julian. The work was placed in a square that has been connected to one of the oldest churches in Paris for many centuries.
The Fontaine Saint-Julien le Pauvre stands in Square René Viviani and takes its name from the nearby church, one of the oldest in Paris. The sculpture draws on the story of Saint Julian as told by Gustave Flaubert in his Three Tales, giving that narrative a visible form in stone.
The fountain sits in Square René Viviani, a small garden square that is easy to reach on foot from the surrounding streets of the 5th arrondissement. Visiting during the day gives the best view of the carved stone details.
Although the fountain looks like a working fountain, no water flows from it. The sculpture functions purely as a carved stone figure, with no water feature at all, which often surprises visitors who stop to look more closely.
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