Small south round basin, Fountain in Tuileries Garden, France
The Small South Round Basin is a circular fountain in the Tuileries Garden, set on the garden's central axis between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. Its low stone rim holds a still sheet of water that mirrors the sky and the surrounding clipped trees. André Le Nôtre placed it in 1664 as one of the paired round basins framing the garden's eastern approach.
The basin was introduced in 1664 during André Le Nôtre's redesign of the gardens under Louis XIV and was part of the extensive transformation of the Tuileries. The project followed the royal plan to create a modern garden of European significance.
The basin's name, petit bassin rond sud, simply marks it as the southern of the garden's round basins, a naming habit Le Nôtre's plan imposed on the whole axis. Visitors today see it used as a reflecting pool, its still surface mirroring the sky and the clipped trees along the terrace.
The fountain is located in the eastern area of the garden and is easily accessible from the main entrances. Visitors can explore the site during daylight hours, preferably in the morning when fewer crowds are present.
The basin sits on the garden's central axis, aligned with the Grand Bassin Rond to the west, so the two round pools mirror each other across the parterres. André Le Nôtre's 1664 layout used this pairing to draw the eye toward the Louvre and the Tuileries Palace.
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