Bassin de Latone (Latona Fountain), Versailles
The gardens of Versailles are full of water features and one of the most famous is the Latona Fountain.
It was designed by the famous landscape gardener Andr茅 le Notre and built in 1670. The magnificent central fountain was sculpted by Gaspard and Balthazar Marsy.
The fountain looks a little like a wedding cake with its four tiers and centre figures. However, instead of the bride and groom you find on top of a wedding cake, the main statues represent the goddess Latone and her two children Apollo and Diana. On the three other tiers are statues of men and women, frogs, lizards and turtles.
According to Roman mythology, the goddess Latone fell in love with Jupiter. Hearing that she was pregnant, Juno 鈥� Jupiter鈥檚 wife 鈥� chased Latone from heaven. On earth the unfortunate goddess gave birth to her twins, but when she went to wash them and drink from a fountain in Lycia, the people refused to let her approach the water.
Latone cried out to Jupiter, who punished the people by turning them into frogs, lizards and turtles. Ovid mentions this legend in his famous work 鈥淢etamorphoses鈥�, which inspired the Marsy brothers in their creation.
The fountain is an incredible example of 17th century hydraulics but over the centuries it is inevitably falling into ruin. A recent restoration program has been launched, with repairs estimated at about 7 million Euros.
It was designed by the famous landscape gardener Andr茅 le Notre and built in 1670. The magnificent central fountain was sculpted by Gaspard and Balthazar Marsy.
The fountain looks a little like a wedding cake with its four tiers and centre figures. However, instead of the bride and groom you find on top of a wedding cake, the main statues represent the goddess Latone and her two children Apollo and Diana. On the three other tiers are statues of men and women, frogs, lizards and turtles.
According to Roman mythology, the goddess Latone fell in love with Jupiter. Hearing that she was pregnant, Juno 鈥� Jupiter鈥檚 wife 鈥� chased Latone from heaven. On earth the unfortunate goddess gave birth to her twins, but when she went to wash them and drink from a fountain in Lycia, the people refused to let her approach the water.
Latone cried out to Jupiter, who punished the people by turning them into frogs, lizards and turtles. Ovid mentions this legend in his famous work 鈥淢etamorphoses鈥�, which inspired the Marsy brothers in their creation.
The fountain is an incredible example of 17th century hydraulics but over the centuries it is inevitably falling into ruin. A recent restoration program has been launched, with repairs estimated at about 7 million Euros.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Versailles. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Bassin de Latone (Latona Fountain) on Map
Sight Name: Bassin de Latone (Latona Fountain)
Sight Location: Versailles, France (See walking tours in Versailles)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Versailles, France (See walking tours in Versailles)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Versailles, France
Create Your Own Walk in Versailles
Creating your own self-guided walk in Versailles is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Versailles Gardens Walking Tour
Spread across a vast (800-hectare) area, the Versailles Gardens are the quintessential example of regal grandeur and meticulous French landscape design. Most of its feature areas 鈥� known as 'groves' 鈥� were created by King Louis XIV鈥檚 chief landscape architect Andr茅 Le N么tre. Key among the garden's numerous attractions is the Orangerie Fountain, which sets the tone for its... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Versailles Introduction Walking Tour
Versailles, a wealthy suburb of Paris some 20 kilometers southwest of the capital, is steeped in grandeur and regal history. Known worldwide for its opulent palace 鈥� the residence of French royalty, this small town offers much more than just its royal gates. Versailles is a living museum of French architecture and aristocratic life and is historically known for numerous treaties signed there,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles