- Bernkastel-Kues
Market fountain with Michael's figure. Designed in the same Late Renaissance style as the town hall.
The Michael Fountain in front of the historic town hall is one of the most distinctive adornments of the Bernkastel marketplace. Its fountain basket is accessible via six steps and is made of an octagonal stone basin made of basalt, surrounded by steps.
The basin is framed by an elaborate wrought-iron grille. With its curvy shapes, it harmoniously blends into the ensemble of the surrounding half-timbered houses and their delicate carvings.
On the back side, two fishmongers bear a coat of arms that is affixed to a small door. From the center of the fountain rises a square pillar with four spout tubes and ornate metal cartouches.
Above it stands a bulging sandstone column with a Corinthian capital, resting on a stone cushion and carrying a ball with bronze spout tubes. On this ball is the figure of the city patron: Saint Michael, with sword and scales, the dragon beneath his feet.
A year on the column identifies the market fountain as a structure from 1606 – two years older than the neighboring town hall. The original figure of the archangel was destroyed in World War II. The current statue comes from the Bernkastel sculptor Paul Simon, who later lived in Cologne.