esplanade Pierre-Vidal-Naquet
1. Paris is home to 67 Wallace fountains, named for the Englishman who financed their construction in the 19th century after the destruction of aquaducts during the Paris Commune rendered potable water extremely expensive. To this day, Wallace fountains provide potable water to the city (from March through November). These beautiful fountains are usually painted a rich, dark green. However, in the 13th arrondissement, home to some of Paris’ most beautiful street art, there are a handful that are painted in bright colors. I went on a little scavenger hunt this weekend to try to track them down.
152 avenue Paul Vaillant Coutourier
2. The first fountain on my tour led me to the 14th arrondissement, nearly to the périphérique ring road that runs around the city of Paris. This grey fountain is located just a few blocks behind the Cité Universitaire, a residential area that looks much like an American college campus and is home to international housing for students who come to study in Paris.
Place Pierre Riboulet
3. From there, I made my way up to Place Pierre Riboulet, where this aquamarine fountain sits in the middle of a quiet square just below the Buttes-aux-Cailles neighborhood. This neighborhood was one of the last strongholds of the Paris Commune, so it seems only appropriate that one of these 19th century fountains should be found here.
66 avenue d’Ivry
4. From there, I set out on my longest walk of the day to avenue d’Ivry and the heart of Chinatown. The red-painted fountain can be found along a stretch of Chinese restaurants and grocery stores.
5. From there, it was an almost-equally-long jaunt towards the Seine and the final two fountains: the bright yellow one in a small park depicted up top, and this pretty pink one that can be found in a quiet square. Both are not far from the BNF or Bibliothèque François Mitterrand, the largest building in the Parisian public library network. It was a nice walk for a long day that took me through neighborhoods I don’t usually visit. They may not be the most picturesque of Parisian quartiers, but the fountains certainly stand out on the local landscape.