1 . J E T
D ' E A U
QUAI GUSTAVE-ADOR, 1207
GENÈVE
With its birth , the proud symbol of Geneva owes
... technical imperfection . When the first
fountain appeared on the lake , the residents
were not in the mood for romantic nonsense : the
city experienced a rapid growth in production . In
1850 , the population of Geneva was 64 thousand
people , and by 1890 it exceeded the 100 -
thousandth boundary . Mills , factories for the
manufacture and processing of fabrics ,
watchmakers and other workshops required
energy , and its main source in that era was
water .
Therefore , in 1886 , a hydraulic factory in
Cuvrinier was commissioned , in a place where
the Rhône River flows from the lake . The factory
became a real achievement of technical
progress : its work consisted in drawing water
from the lake and supplying it to the city water
supply system intended for residents and
enterprises .
In 1891 , the municipal council decided to make
the fountain a real landmark . Е he fountain was
moved to a more picturesque place , a few
hundred meters further , to the shore of the lake
near the O - Viv quarter , and the power increased :
the stream of water began to reach 90 meters in
height . In 1951 the power was increased again ,
this time to a height of 140 meters . Due to this ,
Zhe - Do on Lake Geneva became the sixth highest
fountain in the world . The fountain was awarded
the inauguration during the Federal Gymnastics
Festival and was solemnly included on August 2 ,
the 600th anniversary of the Confederation .
Since then , and already for 120 years , the Geneva
Fountain truly reigns on the lake surface .