What’s in a name? This, my friends, is Place du Château d’Eau. You might be surprised to learn it wasn’t always a bustling square. Place du Château d’Eau was once a much smaller space, known for a grand fountain. This wasn’t just any fountain. It was the “Fontaine aux lions de Nubie,” designed by Pierre-Simon Girard in 1811. The fountain earned the area its name, “Château d’Eau,” meaning “water tower” in French. The fountain served as a symbol of progress, bringing fresh water from the north to Parisian homes. However, as the city grew, so did its ambitions. In 1867, Baron Haussmann, the man behind Paris’s grand redesign, commissioned a larger fountain for the expanding square. The original fountain found a new home at the Villette slaughterhouse, serving as a final watering hole for livestock. A new name, “Place de la République,” was chosen, honoring the French Republic and reflecting the changing times. Yet, echoes of the past remain in the name Place du Château d’Eau. The next time you’re here, remember the tale of the two fountains and the transformation they witnessed. They serve as a beautiful reminder that even in a city that constantly reinvents itself, the past is never truly forgotten.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to