La Fontaine de Mars

The mascaron on the top picture is to be found on a fountain, named “Fountain of Mars” and which dates from the very beginning of the 19^th century. You can find the fountain on Rue Saint Dominique, close to an old restaurant with the same name – “La Fontaine de Mars” (where the Obama couple and some friends had a private dinner in 2009). The buildings which now surround the fountain were built later during the 19^th century and around the square you can find two other also quite nice restaurants with terraces. 

The mascarons did not spray any water … it was a cold and snowy day and there were no horses around like on the engraving you can see below - from when the fountain was new.

On the front of the fountain you can see Mars, god of war and Hygieia, goddess of health.

You can see a sign indicating the level that the Seine flood of 1910 reached. Considering that we are almost 600 m (650 yards) from the river, we must admit that the present flood is “nothing” in comparison - see also the map below on the left illustrating the parts of Paris which were touched by the 1910 flood.