Fontaine des Quatre-Tias
Hidden in plain sight on Place Belliard, the Fontaine des Quatre-Tias is a Renaissance fountain of extraordinary elegance — four carved spouts, a central column and a basin of pale stone that has been quenching the curiosity of visitors since the 16th century. François Rabelais, who studied law in Fontenay, almost certainly drank from it, and the square around it remains one of the most photogenic
A Fountain with a Famous Fan
Rabelais studied at the Franciscan convent in Fontenay in the early 16th century and was so fond of the town's intellectual life that he coined the phrase 'fontaine de toute science' — fountain of all knowledge — in its honour, a phrase the town still carries proudly.
The fountain itself is small enough to miss if you are hurrying, but stop for five minutes and the craftsmanship of the carved stone spouts and the proportions of the column reward close attention.
The Square Around It
Place Belliard is flanked by handsome 16th- and 17th-century townhouses whose ground floors now house a handful of independent shops and a café with outdoor tables — the ideal perch for a slow espresso.
The square connects directly to the Rue du Pont-aux-Foulons, a street lined with further Renaissance doorways and carved lintels that make a self-guided architectural walk genuinely rewarding.
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