In Place Saint-Étienne, facing the Roman cathedral, is the oldest fountain in the city: the Griffoul ('gushing spring' in Occitan). This Renaissance monument was built in 1547 and features four little children, each holding a fish spitting a stream of water. Most people wander past without a second look, but the small occupants of the fountain were not always so well behaved. In 1593, the sculptor Antoine Bachelier installed four bronze marmosets that appeared to be urinating in the basin. Deemed shocking at the time, the statuettes were melted down and made more decent. Use your imagination to see behind those apparently innocent cherubs to a fountain more reminiscent of the Manneken Pis twins!
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