The look of the Lantern was completed in 1613, a little over 400 years ago; it is the head of the great aqueduct of Belleville.
This aqueduct is the most important vestige of the water supply system that supplied the first Parisian fountains thanks to water catchments developed from the Middle Ages on the heights of North-East Paris.
The look of the Lantern is a building in rotunda, in strong ashlar stones and surmounted by a dome. Inside, a double stone staircase descends to the pool which receives the drained water from the top of the hill. A section of the gallery of the great aqueduct (13th/ 14th centuries) is accessible from the inside of the gaze.
The care taken in the construction of the whole is remarkable. It is one of the few monuments classified as historical monuments of Eastern Paris; it is located in a public garden in the middle of the very popular district of the Place des Fêtes in Belleville.
It is a surprising and unknown vestige; yet it is very significant of life in Paris in the past.
The view of the Lantern testifies to the efforts made over the centuries to provide water to Parisians, and reminds us of the importance of this ever-precious resource.
The view of the Lantern has been classified as a historical monument since 1899; it is not usually open to the public.