Lille has found its Wallace fountain, which has been missing for more than a year

In March 2021,

published a notice of disappearance to try to find out what had happened to the only copy of the Wallace fountain installed in Lille.

Nearly a year and a half later, the ancient, but now gleaming fountain, has reappeared a stone's throw from the Opera, place Léon Trulin.

She had simply left for a cure to have the facade and the pipes cleaned.

Damaged by time, degradation and forgotten by all, the Wallace fountain installed on Place de Béthune was dying out despite the heritage interest it represented.

As we wrote at the beginning of 2021, these fountains, omnipresent in Paris in the 19th century, have disappeared over time to the point of becoming as rare as they are precious.

The municipality of Lille had thus decided to restore the only copy in its possession, which is still 150 years old.

A fountain finally filled with water

The restoration, carried out by the Anne-Cécile Viseux workshop, conforms to the original in all respects, in particular its green paint, the historic color of Parisian Wallace fountains.

But above all, it has regained its original function, namely to provide drinking water to the inhabitants.

Ecology requires, it allows to drink on demand instead of flowing continuously.

A second life that will not only be cosmetic.

To highlight it, the municipality has installed its Wallace fountain on Place Léon Trulin, on the side of the Opera, in the city center.

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• Lille

• Hauts-de-France

• Inheritance

• Water