L’Enfant au Bateau Statue

Gazing at L’Enfant au Bateau, one might hear whispers of 1858. That year, Mr. Rochat, a city inspector, proposed a small fountain for Chemin des Etrangers, now Rue du Môle. The fountain would feature a charming statue, a child with a goose, cast in iron. L’Enfant au Bateau wasn’t always alone in its spot. Originally, it was part of a larger fountain, featuring an oval stone basin. The fountain graced Rue du Môle for nearly a century. But progress, as it often does, disrupted the scene. In 1950, garages were built, and the fountain was dismantled. L’Enfant au Bateau was stored away, its basin left behind. Decades passed, and the statue seemed lost to time. Then, in 2001, residents, during a meeting about transforming Rue du Môle, expressed a desire to see their fountain again. This sparked a search, leading to a rediscovery in 2004. A note from 1986 surfaced, revealing that a gardener had found L’Enfant au Bateau in storage. Sadly, the original basin and pedestal were missing. The city decided to recreate a pedestal, bringing L’Enfant au Bateau back to Rue du Môle. The restored limestone basin, now empty of water, complements the statue. Though the goose is often mistaken for a boat, hence the name L’Enfant au Bateau or Child with a Boat. This little statue has journeyed through time, a testament to the persistence of memory and the power of community.