Fountain square in Saint-Louis neighbourhood has been restored! There are now chairs to sit down on! In 1737, on the site originally proposed by his great-grandfather, Louis XV gave permission do a couple of merchants, J. Bully and C. Bruneteau, to construct some sheds to accomodate the stalls of a new market. The sheds were arranged in quadrangles but the market failed to attract customers and after 1755, the sheds were gradually converted into dwellings. This is fountain square, which gets its name from the former reservoir that can be seen there (the building in the second photo). This structure, which was put up in 1766 by engineer Pluyette, was dug during the reign of Louis XIV, received water from the far end of Avenue de Sceaux and supplied the neighbourhood's fountains. It is currently occupied by the municipal department responsible for protecting ancient habitat. (Text slightly adapted from Versailles' tourist info on St-Louis neighbourhood that anyone visiting Versailles should download!)
Maintenant il y a des chaises pour s'y installer ! A Saint-Louis, le carré à la fontaine tient son nom de l’ancien réservoir qu’on y voit (ici sur la seconde photo) : cette construction de 1766 due à l’ingénieur Pluyette recevait son eau de réservoirs creusés sous Louis XIV au bout de l’avenue de Sceaux et la distribuait aux fontaines du quartier. Le service municipal chargé de l’habitat ancien y est à présent installé (texte du guide "parcours historique Saint-Louis" qui peut être consulté en intégralité en cliquant sur le lien).
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