The fountain and Place Saint-Jean

Place Saint-Jean, once the site of a fortified gateway, is now a central thoroughfare with a 19th-century fountain.

The largest square in Melun

Place Saint-Jean was created in 1737 to replace a fortified gateway into the Saint-Aspais district.
In 1864, the town of Melun commissioned a fountain, which was erected in the centre of the square thanks to a donation from Melun resident Henri Lainville, by sculptor Jean-Baptiste Klagmann and foundryman Durenne. The upper part of the statue features three allegories. They represent the department's three major rivers: the Seine with a cornucopia, the Marne holding a sickle and ears of wheat and the Yonne with an oar. Small fountains were built in 1866 to provide Melun's residents with drinking water.

Today, it is the largest square in Melun and a central thoroughfare in the town. It is lined with shops, restaurants, a cultural centre and a tourist office.