Enceladus Fountain

The Enceladus Fountain is a lead sculpture in the Bosquet de l'Encelade showing a giant with water streaming from his mouth while his body lies buried beneath rocks. The installation combines sculpture and water features into a dramatic garden element.

Gaspard and Balthazard Marsy created this fountain between 1675 and 1677 during Louis XIV's extensive reshaping of the Versailles gardens. It forms part of a series of mythological fountains built during that period.

The fountain shows the fallen giant Enceladus trapped beneath stones as punishment for rebelling against the Olympian gods. Today visitors encounter this mythological story frozen in the garden landscape.

The fountain sits within a wooded garden grove and is accessible from the main pathways. Water displays operate during specific times, with the most frequent shows occurring in warmer months.

Water forcefully shoots from the giant's mouth, representing his final cry of pain as he remains trapped beneath the weight of stones. This dramatic water movement makes the mythological character's suffering physically tangible.

Location: Versailles

Inception: 1675

Architects: Gaspard and Balthazard Marsy

Creator: Gaspard and Balthazard Marsy

Made from material: lead, gold leaf

Part of: Bosquet de l'Encelade

GPS coordinates: 48.80806,2.11250

Latest update: December 12, 2025 14:25