Monument élevé à la mémoire des Girondins
MonumentHidden Treasure
Monument élevé à la mémoire des Girondins, located in Bordeaux (Gironde), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8454, -0.5749
- Mérimée Reference
- PA33000074
Colossal monument standing 50 metres tall in the heart of Bordeaux, the Monument aux Girondins spreads its bronze fountains across the place des Quinconces — a masterpiece of French republican sculpture.
History
Standing at the western end of the Place des Quinconces, one of the largest squares in Europe, the Monument aux Girondins is the absolute emblem of Bordeaux. Its fifty-metre-high Corinthian stone column is topped by the Genius of Liberty breaking his fetters - a bronze figure whose golden silhouette stands out strikingly against the Aquitaine sky. At its foot, two monumental pools house fountains whose sculpted groups are among the most ambitious examples of French republican statuary from the Belle Époque. What makes this monument truly unique is the alliance between the political eloquence of its subject and the plastic richness of its execution. No less than three renowned sculptors - Achille Dumilâtre, Félix Charpentier and Gustave Debrie - combined their talents to create a remarkably coherent iconographic ensemble. Prancing horses, allegorical figures of the Republic and Concord, representations of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers: each bronze tells a chapter in the republican ideal of the Third Republic. The visit is experienced on several different scales. From a distance, the silhouette of the column dominates the esplanade with an almost Roman majesty. At mid-distance, the two fountains reveal their equestrian groups with astounding virtuosity - the horses emerging from the water literally seem to be galloping out of the basin. Up close, every sculpted detail merits attention: the expressions of the allegories, the symbolic attributes, the nuanced verdigris patina of the bronzes. The setting itself is exceptional. The Place des Quinconces, planted with rows of trees according to a rigorous plan, provides the monument with a setting worthy of its stature. A few steps away, the Garonne unravels its golden-brown mirror, and the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux elegantly closes the view. Whether you're a photographer, a family, a history buff or just a stroller, the Monument aux Girondins is sure to evoke different emotions, depending on the time of day, the light and the season.
Architecture
The Monument aux Girondins is based on a perfectly balanced vertical and horizontal composition. The central column, in limestone with a Corinthian capital, rises to a height of fifty metres - an exceptional scale that rivals the great European triumphal columns. Its smooth shaft contrasts with the ornamental richness of the capital and base, focusing the eye on the statue at the top: the Genius of Liberty, a bronze figure holding the broken chains in one hand, the embodiment of the triumphant republican ideal. The plinth itself is a complete sculptural programme. On the esplanade side, the Gallic cockerel flanked by the allegories of History and Eloquence forms a monumental façade imbued with civic solemnity. On the hemicycle side, the figure of Bordeaux towers above the personifications of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, anchoring the monument in its fluvial and symbolic geography. Two elliptical basins encircle the column and house the fountains, whose bronze groups are the highlight of the whole: on the Grand Théâtre side, the Triomphe de la République, with its rearing horses emerging from the water in a dramatic flourish; on the Jardin Public side, the Triomphe de la Concorde, with a calmer composition. The overall aesthetic is in keeping with the eclectic academic style that triumphed during the Belle Époque, combining antique references, neo-baroque vocabulary and the republican symbolism of the Third Republic. The technical mastery of the foundries involved - in particular Leblanc-Barbedienne, heir to the most advanced sand casting techniques - ensured that the bronzes were of a quality that still commands the admiration of specialists today.
Related Figures
Achille Dumilâtre — sculpteur principal, concepteur du programme iconographique du monumentVictor Rich — architecte directeur du chantier entre 1893 et 1902Félix Charpentier — sculpteur collaborateur, auteur de plusieurs groupes allégoriquesGustave Debrie — sculpteur collaborateur, spécialiste des figures animalières et équestresPierre Victurnien Vergniaud — député girondin bordelais, figure centrale de la mémoire commémoréeMarguerite Élie Guadet — député girondin de la Gironde, guillotiné en 1794Armand Gensonné — député girondin de la Gironde, exécuté en 1793
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Monument élevé à la mémoire des Girondins located?
Monument élevé à la mémoire des Girondins is located in Bordeaux, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Monument élevé à la mémoire des Girondins built?
Monument élevé à la mémoire des Girondins dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Monument élevé à la mémoire des Girondins open to visitors?
Monument élevé à la mémoire des Girondins is currently closed to visitors.