Fontaine de ville ancienne en fonte à décor de feuilles de chêne - Fontaines, bassins et puits

This drinkable city fountain was made at the end of the 19th century. Its circular basin has the same classic form from the preceding centuries, it is put on a foot decorated with oak leaves and acorns. There is on the basin center a column decorated with the same motif with on top a small basin with a oak leaves frieze. Four taps put all around the column allow the water out.The fountains in the cities are typical of the Middle-Ages' end and of the cities' development. Indeed, the population's increase had as a consequence the wells' deficiency to supply enough water. Thus, sources' water was canalized to the cities through conduits to which were linked the fountains that allow until the end of the 19th century to provide drinkable water. The growing importance of the hygienist theories throughout the 19th century led to the multiplication of fountains in the cities, especially in the center of places, and thus the importance of giving them also a decorative function.Our fountain is typical of this change as its decoration shows. It should have been put on a place's center, to confirm the four taps all around the column that allow four persons to come at the same time to get some water. A lot of French city's fountains were melted down based on the foundries' catalogue such as the Vale d'Osne one.