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Base Mérimée: Monuments historiques · France

Fontaine de l'Esplanade, dite fontaine Pradier

Nîmes, Gard, France

The record

Designation
Historic monument, registered (inscrit)
Protection
inscrit MH
Extent of protection
Fontaine de l'Esplanade, dite fontaine Pradier (cad. non cadastré ; domaine public) : inscription par arrêté du 16 novembre 1988
Protection dates
1988/11/16 : inscrit MH
Type
fontaine
Later work
19e siècle
Architect or builder
Pradier (maître de l'oeuvre)
Ownership
propriété de la commune
Address
place de la Libération
Commune
Nîmes
Département
Gard
Region
Occitanie
Country
France
Coordinates
43.83490, 4.36235
Mérimée reference
PA00103096

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1603 map "Languedock." (Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library).

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This record on the Ministère de la Culture's POP platform ↗

The Ministère de la Culture's notice

En 1840, l'arrivée du chemin de fer à Nîmes incite la municipalité à créer un monument artistique digne d'une nouvelle entrée triomphale dans le centre de la ville et à proximité du palais de justice néo-classique. Le concours lancé en 1844 pour une fontaine monumentale est remporté par Charles Questel pour le dessin. Elle sera réalisée par Pradier qui appartient à une famille protestante locale. Elle sera inaugurée en 1851. La fontaine symbolise Nîmes et les quatre sources d'approvisionnement : fontaine Nemosa, fontaine de l'Eure à Lezès, Gardon et Rhône. Les cinq figures sont réalisées en marbre blanc.

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

In 1840, the arrival of the railway at Nîmes prompted the municipality to create an artistic monument worthy of a new triumphal entrance to the city centre and near the neo-classical courthouse. The competition launched in 1844 for a monumental fountain was won by Charles Questel for the design. It was executed by Pradier, who belonged to a local Protestant family. It was inaugurated in 1851. The fountain symbolises Nîmes and its four water sources: the Nemosa fountain, the Eure fountain at Lezès, the Gardon and the Rhône. The five figures are executed in white marble.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Base Mérimée, Ministère de la Culture, data last updated 2026-09-17, reused under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab). Record text is reproduced unchanged. Ministère de la Culture · Licence Ouverte 2.0
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