Fontaine des Innocents

The Fontaine des Innocents ( German: Fountain of the Innocents ) is a fountain in the Square des Innocents in the 1st arrondissement of Paris.

The fountain was built in the years 1547-1549 by Pierre Lescot in the Renaissance style and decorated by Jean Goujon with sculptures. It was named after the nearby, demolished in 1786 Holy Innocents Church. After the demolition of the church, the fourth side of the fountain has been newly created, the Augustin Pajou embellished in 1788.

The church and the fountain were surrounded by the applied in the Middle Ages Cimetière des Innocents, where a total of about two million people were buried. The remains were laid in the years 1780 to 1788 for health reasons.

The square Square des Innocents was created in 1858, while the location of the fountain was moved. He is now a pedestrian zone and a popular meeting place. Through its eastern side, the Rue Saint- Denis runs.