Fountain of the Elephants

You are standing in front of the Fountain of the Elephants. The locals love to call it the famous four with no bum. If you say it in French, les quatre sans culs, you will hear the 400 without a bum. While the elephants are a reference to Hannibal’s legendary crossing of the Alps, the monument is in fact a tribute to Chambéry’s quintessential benefactor, the Count of Boigne. It was erected in his honor, only 8 years after his death, in 1838. Classified as a historical monument since 1982, the Fountain of the Elephants is iconic to the city and is inseparable from Chambéry’s landscape. The whole fountain is built in Saint-Sulpice limestone and is almost 18 meters high. It is the result of the addition of a column, with our favorite general standing on top, to a previously built and rather substantial fountain. It was originally called the Boigne Column. Now study it closely, you will see that it represents a palm trunk adorned with several elements recalling the general’s conquests during his travels to India, where he made his fortune. The fountain is the work of Victor Sappey, a sculptor from Grenoble, who won the competition launched by the city, thanks to his originality and low cost (which is always better). Each elephant is located at a cardinal point forming the emblem of Savoy, a cross. The statue of the general survived twice the decision to be unbolted and melted. During the occupation of Nazi Germany all non-ferrous metals such as tin, copper, or lead were requisitioned, to build weapons. But honestly? It was so difficult and expensive to take the statue down from the column that the general was spared a first time. In April 1944, once again, the decision was made that Boigne sould be melted. No matter what! But that was without knowing that Liberation was to happen a few months later. So really, it’s sheer luck that enables us to admire this iconic fountain in its entirety. In 2014, the 4 elephants set of for a well-deserved pampering and makeover. Three of them were unbolted and then melted into 3 sand molds created from a scan of the fourth. One mold each, as they shatter during unmolding. A complex and meticulous operation giving many more years of life to our 400 bums, making their heritage ready to be passed on to future generations