Fontaine des Innocents in the 1st arrondissement of Paris was built in 1550. It is the oldest monumental fountain in Paris and was commissioned as part of the decoration of the city to commemorate the royal entry of King Henry II into Paris in 1549. It was originally placed against the walls of the Saint Innocents Cemetery and Church, and survived the removal of the church and cemetery, because of its masterpiece quality as a Renaissance style sculpture. In the process, the fountain was redesigned to create its fourth side (as previously being located against a wall it only had three sides) and it has been relocated within the square at least twice, as the city environs around it were modernised and transformed. Today it is a well known meeting point and although officially located in Place Joachim du Bellay, it is commonly referred to as the Square des Innocents, after the fountain and its history.
