The world has some spectacular fountains and many of these are great tourist spots. So, I decided to take a look at some of the very best ones from around the world! I hope you enjoy reading about it.
Fountain of Apollo, Versailles
The grounds of the Palace of Versailles occupy 2,000 acres or eight square kilometres, a footprint double the size of Central Park in New York. “Bigger is always better” was something of a motto for the grandiose Louis XIV, who also liked to call himself the “Sun King.” When André Le Nôtre was tasked with overhauling the palace’s fountains in 1662, one of his centrepieces was a massive fountain showing the start of the Roman sun god Apollo’s daily ride through the heavens. The fountain itself was designed by Charles Le Brun, and his work remains undeniably breathtaking. A profusion of horses, whales, and tritons decorate the body of the fountain itself. It sits at the top of a canal a mile long, giving the enormous gardens an infinite-seeming axis around which to organize.
The Stravinsky Fountain is situated in interesting company. It’s flanked on one side by the classical “Flamboyant Gothic” church of Saint-Merri from the 16th century, and on the other by the Pompidou Centre, a hyper-modern construction which even enthusiastic supporter Jean Tinguely called a “superb monstrosity.” Tinguely was the sculptor assigned to create the fountain in 1978 along with partner Niki de Saint Phalle. The Stravinsky Fountain, a colourful and mobile tribute to the life and work of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, is one of seven new fountains birthed by the same presidential edict. The surreal, clown-like nature of the fountain evokes the themes of the circus so beloved in Stravinsky’s day. Located in the underground music research facility of Pierre Boulez, the Stravinsky Fountain was opened to the public in 1983. Newspaper Le Monde characterized its unique appearance as “the character of an 18th-century mechanical music box.”
Fountain of Prometheus, New York
Every winter brings a profusion of ice skaters (both tourists and locals) to the sunken plaza of Rockefeller Center; it’s one of the all-time great Manhattan experiences. Since 1934, this fun activity has carried on beneath the watchful eye of Prometheus, the titan who, according to ancient Greek myth, gifted Earthly men with fire from Mount Olympus. The Titan is represented in New York by a huge gilded Art Deco sculpture created by Paul Manship. Prometheus flies above the plaza across a background of rich red granite with water jets playing below. The entire presentation is backed by RCA Tower, the long-time home of NBC TV, which has given the sculpture plenty of media exposure throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. If you love this then why not look at Luxe Water Walls for a similar one in your home.
There’s no finer example of the Baroque style than this rich confection of marble that portrays Oceanus overseeing the taming of Rome’s waters. Countless visitors have enjoyed the busy show offered up beneath the oyster shell the sea god stands over, and the fountain’s basin collects roughly 3,000 euros every day in freely-thrown offerings. These funds are put to work buying food for the needy of the city. Architect Niccola Salvi began the fountain in 1730 after a papal order from Clement XII, assembling a profusion of horses, gods, muses, and rocks. The surrounding building, Palazzo Poli, was given an overhauled facade to complement the fountain. In the modern age, the Trevi Fountain has emerged as one of Rome’s great landmarks, appearing regularly in films like Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita.
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, London
Queen Elizabeth II opened this fountain to initially mixed reviews in 2004, but it has grown steadily more popular since then. Kathryn Gustafson’s computer-aided design involved slippery stones of Cornish granite that proved to be treacherous for early visitors. The large oval fountain is a study in duality, offering one smooth cascade of water and one much rockier one to reflect the struggles the Princess faced in life. Initial drainage issues were rapidly repaired by the Royal Parks, and today the fountain stands as a pleasant place for visitors to sit and feel refreshed.
