Place Daumesnil-Félix Éboué: lack of protection and threats

We are constantly denouncing the under-protection of French heritage, particularly in Paris, an observation recently echoed by the Minister of Culture herself (see article). This under-protection can be illustrated once again by a very specific case: the Lion Fountain in the Place Félix Éboué (ill. 1), which was formerly known as the Place Daumesnil.
Designed by Gabriel Davioud and adorned with water-spitting bronze lions by Henri-Alfred Jacquemart (ill. 2), one of the best animal sculptors of the 19th century, this monument was originally designed for the Place de la République, which was then known as the Place du Château-d’Eau during the Second Empire (the fountain is also known as the Fontaine du Château-d’Eau). Completed in 1874, it was quickly moved to the Place Daumesnil in the…