Fontaine au crocodile Nim

Crocodile Fountain, the marketplace, Nimes

The market square is located in the heart of the city of Nimes, and we can't miss its fountain, which was designed by the artists Martial Raysse, Silvio and Vito Tongiani

On this fountain, you can see a crocodile, with rope around his neck, who contemplates the passers-by with an ironic air, maybe because the rope was not attached... not far from the fountain, one can notice a plamier... with these 2 items you have the emblem of the city of Nîmes.

A short story of a unique emblem

The origin of the emblem is the victory of Octavian (future Augustus) on Antony and Cleopatra at Actium, in other words Rome over Egypt

After the Egyptian campaign, some of the soldiers of Augustus moved to Nîmes and settled there. Their victory was symbolized by a crocodile chained to a Palm tree, a representation recovery then on the "ACE" of Nîmes, the currency hit three times in Nîmes ( 28-27 BC, in 8-3 BC and in 13-14 AD.) on the opposite side was Octave and his son-in-law Agrippa and on the reverse, the crocodile that symbolizes the submission of Egypt to Rome (which represents, if one can say that Antoine and the rope that bound him to Cleopatra, frail Palm tree) and where the words are struck: COL NEM. These words have the meaning of colonia Nemausus, or Nîmes colony.

This representation became much later (under François 1st) the arms and the emblem of the city. In the 1980s, the Palm / crocodile association was reinterpreted by Philippe Starck. Presented all over in the city, the ancient origin illustration does not fail to pique the curiosity of visitors...

Adresse in French : Place du Marché, 30000 Nîmes, France

Address: The market square, 30000 Nîmes, France

Sources:
https://www.nimes.fr/index.php?id=1686
http://www.petit-patrimoine.com/fiche-petit-patrimoine.php?id_pp=30189_4