Water features form an impressive part of the gardens in the Palace of Versailles in Paris. There are fountains, cascading waterfalls, calm pools and grand canals. Close to the palace, by the two water parterres are a series of sculptures depicting wild animals in fight—a lion conquering a wild boar, a tiger subduing a bear and a bloodhound bringing down a stag. From the mouth of each of these animals water gushes into a basin. The Dragon Fountain, which is actually a python, is one of the oldest at Versailles and shoots water 27 meters high. The Latona Fountain, which illustrates the story of Latona from the Metamorphoses of Ovid, is the grandest with four levels decorated with figures of frogs, lizards and turtles.
The Fountain of Apollo at the Palace of Versailles. Image credit: S-F / Shutterstock.com
