Regard Saint-Martin, Historical monument at rue des Cascades, 20th arrondissement of Paris, France.
The Regard Saint-Martin is a small stone-roofed water access point with a wooden door built against a retaining wall on rue des Cascades in the 20th arrondissement. It functioned as part of a wider water distribution network that connected natural springs and underground channels across northeast Paris.
This water access point originated in the Middle Ages and was later used by monks from the Saint-Martin-des-Champs monastery who maintained it for local use. The structure underwent several renovations in the 17th and 18th centuries, which are recorded in a Latin inscription carved into its pediment.
The Latin plaque above the door, headed FONS, records that the spring once served both the Cluniac monks of Saint-Martin-des-Champs and their Templar neighbours. It also gives the renovation dates 1633 and 1722, and a stone on the facade bears the year 1804, likely a repair date.
The water access point sits along an active street in the Belleville district and can be visited without advance planning or special equipment. The site is accessible year-round, though the surrounding area may become slippery after rain.
A stone relief set into the left side of the facade, above the door, is identified by Louis Tesson as Saint Martin tearing his cloak. Tesson also states that a second relief once decorated the other side of the door. A stone on the facade carries the year 1804, perhaps a repair date.
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