Fontaine du Palmier / Fontaine du Châtelet

This fountain is known as "'Fontaine du Palmier" (palm tree) or "Fontaine du Châtelet" (small castle). It is one of the fifteen fountains Napoleon commissioned for Paris to make water free and easily available for the Parisians.

The sphinxes at the bottom were not part of the original design and were added later during the Haussman transformation of Paris. They are a reminder of Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. The top statue is original and represents Nike, the winged goddess of victory.

Along the column, you can read from the bottom to the top: Lodi ; Pyramides ; Marengo ; Ulm ; Dantzick. These were five of Napoleon's victories up to the time the fountain was erected.

If a column was to list all of his victories, it would have to be ten times higher... Vive l'Empereur!