When looking for recommendations for attractions in Paris, the name of the wonderful Luxembourg Gardens immediately comes to mind. They invite tourists and locals alike to embrace them. It's hard to remain indifferent to the sight of the beautifully manicured gardens, the variety of wonderful sculptures spread across more than 57 green acres, and the miniature sailing ships that children sail in the round pond in the central square. Alternatively, you can lie on one of those green chairs scattered throughout the garden and read a book, or admire the Luxembourg Palace opposite, which currently serves as the home of the French Senate.
One of the garden's true gems, which unfortunately is hidden away and not very popular with visitors, is the magnificent Medici Fountain. Built in 1630, the fountain is one of the most beautiful fountains in Paris, but its side location, in a relatively secluded corner of the garden, and the lush avenue of tall trees that overshadow it, cause many visitors to overlook it. And this is indeed a miss, because in addition to the fountain's great beauty, the fountain has deep roots in the rich history of France.
The history of the Luxembourg Gardens
Upon the death of her husband Henry IV, Marie de Medici, as regent on behalf of her minor son, Louis XIII, requested that a new palace be built to remind her of her Italian roots. After all, a person is nothing but the pattern of their native landscape, and Medici, who wanted to feel at home, chose to design the palace in the style of the Pitti Palace, and the gardens around it, in the image and likeness of the Boboli Gardens in Florence, her hometown.
The Medici Fountain, originally called “La grotte du Luxembourg”, was commissioned by the Medici in 1624, and they wanted to give it the same typical characteristics of Italian Mannerism. A complex fountain, and an artificial grotto decorated with statues, just like the one known as the Buonatlantico Grotto in the Boboli Gardens. The architect chosen for the construction and planning was Tommaso Francini, the same one who was entrusted with the fountains and water in the gardens of the Medici villas in Florence and Rome.
Francini created a large water basin, leading to a huge sculpted fountain, topped by statues of two nymphs pouring water from pitchers, and a pediment bearing the Medici family crest. The fountain was considered one of the wonders of the period, mainly due to its location on the left bank of the Paris, where water did not flow freely, a problem that was only solved with the construction of the Arcuille aqueduct in 1623. Unlike the right bank where groundwater was accessible, the groundwater on the left bank was quite deep, and water had to be carried by hand from the Seine. (It is worth adding that, due to the lack of running water, urban growth in Paris until the early 17th century was mainly on the right bank).
After the Medici's death, the gardens and palace passed through several owners. By the mid-18th century, most of the estate, including the fountain, was in need of serious repair due to poor maintenance. The neglect was so severe that the fountain's statues were missing (perhaps stolen) and the retaining wall at the back had eroded to the point of collapse.
Fortunately, in 1811 Napoleon appointed architect Jean Leclerc (who had also designed the Arc de Triomphe) to renovate the historic fountain and the adjacent Luxembourg Palace. Fifty years later, as part of Baron Haussmann's extensive renovations of the city under Napoleon III, the fountain underwent another transformation, when it became necessary to move its position by 50 meters to make way for the street above it (Rue de Medicis).
Moving the fountain required an element that would fill the empty space left behind, in place of the buildings that originally stood there. The creative solution found by architect Alphonse de Gisor was to move another fountain, “Lada and the Swan,” which stood on one of the nearby streets, and was itself looking for a new home following the city’s transformations. The fountain was a perfect fit to serve as a backdrop for the Medici Fountain, but beyond that, the move did it no favors, as passersby were completely unaware of its existence and focused mainly on the beautiful nurse.
This is what the Luxembourg Palace and Luxembourg Gardens looked like in the late 18th century. The video was made using a computer game Assassin's Creed UnityWant to watch more tours of 18th century Paris? Go toAnonymous Francophiles' YouTube page.
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Medici Fountain
The changes made by Gisor essentially constitute the facade of the fountain as we all know it: Gisor added two new statues representing the Seine and Rhone rivers at the top of the fountain, in the position where the nymphs previously stood. He restored the Medici family crest, which had been deliberately vandalized during the French Revolution (like other royal emblems), and installed a set of statues by the sculptor Auguste Auten.
A work depicting the Cyclops Polyphemus, filled with jealousy, holding a rock in his hand, waiting to crush Acis, who is carrying his beloved Galatea in his arms, while Pan (a satyr who is half man and half goat) and the huntress Diana watch from either side of the fountain.
The fascinating story behind the work is the story of the Roman poet Ovid, about a love triangle involving: Acis the handsome youth, Galatea the beautiful sea nymph, and Polyphemus the Cyclops. Galatea is in love with Acis and loathes the monstrous giant who woos her passionately, she hides with her lover under a rock.
The Cyclops, filled with jealousy, notices the surprised lovers, and at that very moment, immortalized in the fountain, in a fit of rage, uproots a huge rock and hurls it at Acis, who dies. But the pity of the inhabitants of Olympus has been quenched. The dead cannot be brought back, but there is always the option of becoming something else. Acis is resurrected, when the rock splits, a stream of water bursts from within him and transforms Acis into a river god (the Acis River in Sicily) or in our case, the magnificent Medici fountain. A fountain that is a triumphant testament to Parisian beauty and aesthetics.
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