Set right in the city centre, the Three Graces fountain is a magnificent work and a strong symbolic feature of Bordeaux.
It stands facing the Miroir d'eau, in the middle of Place de la Bourse. This fountain had many rivals for that prime spot.
The square has carried many names since its inauguration (1749) to the present day: Place Royale, Place de la Liberté, Place Impériale and finally Place de la Bourse.
The square makes up an architectural ensemble consisting of a rectangular square with cut corners and a statue at its centre, opening onto the quay. It required the demolition of part of the walls that surrounded Bordeaux.
Before our beloved fountain, this spot was used to display the equestrian statue of King Louis XV of France (1743), which was later removed and melted down in 1792.
Next came a « tree of liberty », followed by a modest fountain in the shape of a pink marble column topped by a white capital and a globe.
It was finally in 1869 that the square proudly welcomed the current Three Graces fountain.
Made of bronze and marble, it depicts Aglaea, Euphrosyne and Thalia, the daughters of Zeus. The fountain was designed by Visconti and produced by Charles Gumery and Amédée Jouandot.
It is a magnificent fountain on a square with no equivalent in Bordeaux.
