Pause for a moment. This unassuming fountain, the Croix du Siège, has witnessed centuries of Parisian life and drama. Today, the intersection of Rue Saint-Honoré and Rue de l’Arbre-Sec is one of Paris’s nicest areas but this wasn’t always the case.
The Croix du Siège stands as a silent witness to public executions. These atrocities occurred from the Middle Ages until the 18th century. This square was a site of public executions until 1698. Counterfeiters were boiled here. Lutherans were burned at the stake. Unworthy servants had their ears cut off until 1739.
An ancient calvary cross once stood near the Croix du Siège. Condemned individuals would make their final prayers there. Butchers and greengrocers used its stone foundations to display their goods. The cross met its end during the French Revolution in 1789.
The name “trahoir” comes from old French. It means “drawer”. This refers to fabrics pulled out during sales in nearby shops. The Croix du Siège that was destroyed during the Revolution was for the condemned to say their last prayers.
King François I commissioned Jean Goujon to design a fountain in 1529. It was later rebuilt in 1606. In 1636, it was moved to improve traffic on Rue Saint-Honoré. The current fountain dates back to 1775. It adjoins a building raised in 1776 by architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot.
The Croix du Siège bears a Latin inscription. It states that Louis XVI ordered the re-edification of the water tower. Charles Claude d’Angiviller supervised the work.
Victor Hugo mentioned the fountain in “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”. King Henri IV passed by the fountain shortly before his assassination in 1610. The French State listed the Croix du Siège as a historic monument in 1925. Today a building stands next to the Croix du Siège. It replaced the house where judges watched executions.
The fountain was initially constructed under François I by Jean Goujon. It was later rebuilt at the request of Louis XVI. The plaque indicates this in Latin.