AD031 The Wallace Fountains of Paris: Their Story

How often have you noticed -- and maybe wondered about -- the tall, forest green fountains featuring four graceful caryatids and spouting water from above, which are spread all over the city?  100 of them grace grand boulevards, tiny side streets, public places and neighborhood squares. They were donated by a rich Englishman, Sir Richard Wallace, who sought to benefit, via healthy drinking water, poor Parisians whose lives were upended by the brutal Paris Commune of 1871.  The back story of these fountains, involving art history, philosophy, industrial development and charity will be illuminated by our speaker at this unusual (and free!) WICE event.

Date: Tuesday 03 December 2019

About the Instructor: Barbara Lambesis, current president of La Société des Fontaines Wallace and author of a bilingual guidebook, Find the Wallace Fountains  Find Paris, is a retired American entrepreneur who now lives part time in Paris where she pursues her interests in European history and heritage.

Photo Credit: Public Domain