Audio GuideFontaine Saint-Michel
Stone fountain, opened in 1860, on a bustling junction and a popular Latin Quarter meeting point.
Park
Paris, France
The Fontaine Saint-Michel is an impressive monument located in Paris, welcoming visitors to the heart of the Latin Quarter. Built between eighteen fifty-eight and eighteen sixty during the Second French Empire, it was designed by the architect Gabriel Davioud as part of Baron Haussmann’s extensive redesign of Paris. The fountain is situated at Place Saint-Michel, where Boulevard Saint-Michel, Place Saint-André-des-Arts, and Rue Danton converge, creating a vibrant urban junction.
At its centre, there's a bronze sculpture portraying Archangel Michael triumphing over the Devil, symbolising the timeless battle between good and evil. This striking image, surrounded by four additional sculptures representing virtues such as Prudence, Strength, Justice, and Temperance, lends the monument a sense of both spiritual and artistic depth.
The Fontaine Saint-Michel employs contrasting materials to craft a striking visual impact, using red marble from Languedoc, sea-green marble, blue limestone from Soignies, and yellow limestone from Saint-Ylie, all combined in a rich, multicoloured design. This enduring piece reflects changes in political tastes and historical events over time. Originally, a large statue of Napoleon was intended, but the design evolved into the allegorical composition we see today.
The fountain remains a popular landmark, inviting visitors not only to admire a masterpiece of nineteenth-century public art but also to engage with a significant aspect of Paris's urban and cultural heritage.
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