Until the 18th century, this courtyard was located outside the city walls, and was a popular place for strolling. Its official name is "?le cours des citoyens?", but the name "Cours Julien" has taken over. In the past, it was above all a large marketplace where market gardeners from the suburbs came to sell their produce. In 1860, they were joined by wholesalers, and for over 100 years the whole complex was the city?s central market. In 1973, the wholesale market was relocated to the Arnavaux district, easier to access for deliveries. The Cours Julien market once again became a neighborhood market. The space was redeveloped with a fountain, the work of landscape architect Isabelle Linski. The former wholesale warehouses were transformed into premises or performance venues, such as the Espace Julien.
The fountain: Isabelle Linski worked on this project twice. First for its creation, then for its rehabilitation in 2013. The overall effect is to create an island of freshness for visitors to the space. Unfortunately, the operation of the monumental water jets is unpredictable. But when they are in action, they can be seen from the Place de la Corderie! One last, more confidential, piece of information: the fountain is located in the square of Pablo Casals (1876-1973), a Spanish cellist and composer who was strongly opposed to dictatorships. Particularly Franco's dictatorship in Spain.
