Claude-François Attiret's 1779 fountain for cavalry horses

The Fontaine de la Porte d’Arans is a public fountain located on the rue des Arènes in Dole, in the French department of Jura. Sculpted in 1779 by Claude-François Attiret, the fountain was designed in the style of the Villa Franca in Rome. It was built near the officers' pavilion of the castle of Dole, which was constructed by his cousin Antoine-Louis Attiret between 1763 and 1768.

Originally, the fountain served a dual purpose. It functioned as a drinking trough for cavalry horses and as a water source for the local residents. The structure features a basin, a pedestal crowned by a vase, and a rectangular niche. On the sides of this niche are two columns and two pilasters. The columns support an entablature decorated with modillions, and an attic decorated with stone balustres.

Detailed stonework defines the fountain's appearance, including armorial bearings of the city and bossage representing stalactites in the back of the niche. Water is distributed by a lion's muzzle head. The fronton is engraved with the construction date in Roman numerals (MDCCLXXIX), while a plaque specifies the sculptor's name and the date of its restoration in 1856. The fountain was officially listed as a historical monument on November 15, 1926.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons