Between legendary tales, myths and false information, the history of the equestrian statue of Louis XIV is strewn with twists and turns. It all began in 1658, when Louis XIV decided to rename Place Bellecour to Place Royale to honor his person. The city of Lyon, to mark this event, considered installing an equestrian statue of the king and renamed the square "Louis-le-Grand". The creation of this statue was entrusted to Martin Desjardins, Parisian sculptor.
Long journey
After its completion in Paris in 1694, it was decided to transport it to Lyon. Due to its considerable weight, the transport was done by river and sea, passing through Rouen, the Strait of Gibraltar, Toulon, Arles, and then up the Rhone to Oullins. However, upon its arrival in 1701, the statue capsized.
It would take another twelve years to install it on its base, decorated with allegorical representations of the Saône and the Rhône, created by Coustou in 1715.
Status destroyed during the revolution
With the advent of the Revolution in 1792, a decree required the destruction of all royal representations in order to recycle the bronze in the manufacture of cannons. The disappearance of the royal effigies then served as an alibi for military needs in bronze.
A new status
It was only in 1825, during the Restoration, that the city of Lyon decided to order a new equestrian statue of Louis XIV from François-Frédéric Lemot, a sculptor from Lyon. Because of its imposing dimensions – 5.70 metres high and weighing 15 tonnes – Lemot called on a Parisian founder. The statue was transported to Lyon by land, pulled by a cart drawn by 10 horses, requiring twelve days to reach its destination.