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Here you are in front of the Pradier fountain, in the centre of the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle. It was inaugurated on 1 June 1851. We owe it to two men: the architect Charles Questel and the sculptor James Pradier. The statue at the top is a woman representing Nîmes. Look at her head: her crown reproduces the Arena and the colonnade of the Maison Carrée, the two Roman monuments that define the city’s identity. Lower down, four seated figures, two men and two women, surround the statue. Each one embodies a watercourse of the region: the Fontaine de Nîmes, the spring at the origin of the Roman colony, the Gardon, the Eure spring and the Rhône. Their Latin names are engraved: Nemausa, Vardo, Ura and Rhodano. The whole work is in white marble. The fountain has been protected as a historic monument since an order of 16 November 1988. Walk around the basin to find each of the four figures.
History
The fountain was inaugurated on the esplanade of Nîmes on 1 June 1851. It marked the completion of the redevelopment of the esplanade and avenue Feuchères, voted by the town council in 1841.
It has been protected as a historic monument by an order of 16 November 1988.
Art and architecture
The architect Charles Questel designed the ensemble and the sculptor James Pradier made the statues in white marble. In the centre stands a female figure, an allegory of Nîmes, crowned with the Arena and the colonnade of the Maison Carrée.
Around her, four seated figures, two male and two female, each with its basin, represent the Fontaine de Nîmes, the Gardon, the Eure spring and the Rhône, under their Latin names Nemausa, Vardo, Ura and Rhodano.
Anecdotes
The four figures tell the geography of water around Nîmes: the sacred spring where the Roman colony was born, the river Gardon, the Eure spring and the great river Rhône.
What to look for
Look at the crown of the central statue, then walk around the basin to match each seated figure with its Latin name.
Practical
The fountain stands in the centre of the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, with free access, a few minutes from the station along avenue Feuchères and opposite the Arena.
Nearby
The Arena, the law courts and the church of Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicity surround the esplanade. To see the real Fontaine de Nîmes, head to the Jardins de la Fontaine.
On site, look for: Walk around the fountain and find the four Latin names: Nemausa, Vardo, Ura and Rhodano.
Test yourself
Who sculpted the fountain?
- Auguste Bosc
- James Pradier (answer)
- Paul Colin
Which river does the figure Rhodano represent?
- The Gardon
- The Rhône (answer)
- The Seine
In which year was it inaugurated?
- 1789
- 1851 (answer)
- 1912
Sources
Information checked on 6 October 2026.