Napoleon’s elephant fountain planned in 1810

In 1810, Napoleon ordered the construction of a monumental elephant-shaped fountain on the Place de la Bastille, intended to be cast in bronze melted from Spanish cannons. The design called for a water jet from the elephant’s trunk, creating a spectacle unlike anything in Europe at the time.

Architect’s ambitious design details

The architect Jean-Antoine Cellerier was tasked with designing the elephant, which would be 15 meters high with a 9-meter tower on one leg, making the total height 24 meters and the length 16 meters. Calculations estimated that 177,000 kilograms of bronze would be needed for the final casting.

Provisional model built due to funding issues

Because the required bronze could not be immediately cast, a full-scale model made of wood and plaster was built as a prototype. This model was kept under a shed with a guard to protect it until funding was secured. Napoleon personally visited the site in 1813 to see the plaster elephant.

Project abandoned after Napoleon’s fall

The fall of the French Empire in 1815 ended the project. Without Napoleon’s support or funding, the bronze elephant was never built. The plaster model was left to decay over the years, gradually turning into a ruin in the center of Paris.

Elephant’s long existence as a Parisian landmark

For thirty-six years, the decaying elephant remained in the Place de la Bastille, becoming a familiar sight to Parisians. Some found it amusing, while others saw it as an eyesore. It was finally dismantled in 1846, with over 200 rats emerging from its hollow body.

Victor Hugo’s literary inspiration

Victor Hugo, who had seen the elephant as a child, used it as inspiration in Les Misérables. In the novel, the ruined elephant becomes a shelter for the character Gavroche. This fictional portrayal helped preserve the memory of the structure long after it was gone.