It's a legend within a legend, so to speak. In Paris, nearthe Montmartre, there is said to be an unusual fountain that has the power to ensure the fidelity of one's partner. It is located in Square Suzanne Buisson and depicts a man holding his head in his hands. This is Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris.
According to legend, after his execution he is said to have walked six kilometers cradling his severed head, then handed it to a woman before sinking to the ground at the very spot where the Basilica of Saint-Denis now stands. It is also said that the bishop paused at Montmartre to rinse his face in this fountain.
While the image of Saint-Denis dates from the early 1940s, the source of this fountain goes back much further. It would then have given birth to an unusual proverb: “A girl who drank from the Saint-Denis Fountain should stay faithful to her husband.”
And thus the popular belief took hold, with the water said to keep lovers faithful. The legend may be silenced now, but the fountain isn’t. Next time you pass by, you’ll know the secret behind this statue.
Location
Square Suzanne Buisson
7 bis rue Girardon
75018 Paris 18
