Bagniers fountain
Placed at the intersection of two streets (rue des Chapeliers and rue des Bagniers) in a craftsmen's district in 1685, the Bagniers fountain, which supplied hot water to the grateful residents, had to be removed from the road in 1759 due to the increase in traffic.
The fountain was in the way, so the Vallons (father and son) were commissioned to install it against a wall to make space. This move deprived the fountain of its supply of hot water which now flowed to the Mossy Fountain on Cours des Carrosses.Today only the elegantly rounded basin is original, and the fountain is vertical, against the wall. The entire upper part, the two corner pilasters surmounted by a projecting cornice and the decorations, have been renovated.
The two gargoyles, placed at a suitable height to avoid splashing passers-by, look like a father and son, both with plump cheeks.
In 1926, noticing that the entire top inner part of the fountain was an unused space, Ambroise Vollard, the art dealer and friend of Paul Cezanne, asked for permission to pay tribute to the famous painter by installing a medallion there with his portrait surrounded by a wreath of flowers and fruit. Permission was granted and a drawing by Renoir was used as a model for the portrait. The fountain is nicknamed the "Cezanne Fountain".
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Fontaine des Bagniers
Rue des Bagniers
13100 Aix-en-Provence
