Fontaine de Medicis in Jardin du Luxembourg - Paris
by RicardMN Photography
Title
Fontaine de Medicis in Jardin du Luxembourg - Paris
Artist
RicardMN Photography
Medium
Photograph
Description
Fontaine de Medicis, Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris.
The Medici Fountain (La fontaine M�dicis) was built in 1630 by Marie de' Medici, the widow of King Henry IV of France and regent of King Louis XIII of France. It was designed by Tomasso Francini, a Florentine fountain maker and hydraulic engineer who was brought from Florence to France by King Henry IV. It was in the form of a grotto, a popular feature of the Italian Renaissance garden. It fell into ruins during the 18th century, but in 1811, at the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, the fountain was restored by Jean Chalgrin, the architect of the Arc de Triomphe. In 1864-66, the fountain was moved to its present location, centered on the east front of the Palais du Luxembourg. The long basin of water was built and flanked by plane trees, and the sculptures of the giant Polyphemus surprising the lovers Acis and Galatea, by French classical sculptor Auguste Ottin, were added to the grotto's rockwork.
The Jardin du Luxembourg, or the Luxembourg Gardens, is the second largest public park in Paris (224,500 m� (22.5 hectares) located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. The park is the garden of the French Senate, which is itself housed in the Luxembourg Palace.
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August 1st, 2013
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