Fontaine Saint-Quentin, Historical fountain in Besançon, France

Fontaine Saint-Quentin stands on Place Victor-Hugo in Besançon, set into a wall beneath a large arched recess with a fan-like carved top. Its centrepiece is La Source, a patinated bronze figure by Jens Boettcher (1997): a legless, armless, faceless pregnant woman rising from a scallop-shell basin. Water drips from the basin rim onto a projecting stone ledge.

It originated around 70 AD as a functional water source and was relocated to its current location in 1698. The site gained official historical monument status in 1937.

The bronze figure is Jens Boettcher's 1997 work La Source, a faceless, armless bust of a pregnant woman. The name Saint-Quentin recalls an earlier fountain of 1579 on the Grande rue, whose red marble nymph by Claude Lullier spouted water from her breasts and was nicknamed la Femme rousse.

It stands on Place Victor-Hugo near Porte Noire and is easily accessible on foot. The square offers seating areas and open access, making it convenient to spend time there while exploring the surrounding neighborhood.

The 1579 nymph carved by Claude Lullier spouted water from her breasts, which earned the fountain the nickname "fontaine de la Rousse" or "de la Femme rousse" after the red Sampans marble. When the fountain was moved in 1698 (or 1756), the statue was put into storage and its trace was lost.