Swiss Fountain, Dijon: Overall view

Henry Darcy built an impressive pressurized water distribution system in Dijon following the failure of attempts to supply adequate fresh water by drilling wells. The system carried water from Rosoir Spring 12.7 km away through a covered aqueduct to reservoirs near the city, which then fed into a network of 28,000 meters of pressurized pipes delivering water to much of the city. The system was fully closed and pressurized by gravity, and thus required no filters or pumps. He authored 'Les Fontaines publiques de la ville de Dijon' in 1856. A guidebook published in 1854 mentions the Fontaine Suisse as one of the fountains in a belt of promenades or 'plantations' (parks) around the town.