- 14 Place Carnot, 69002 Lyon
- What you see
- What you need to know
Welcome to this statue of the republic on Place Carnot, a place full of political and artistic history. Here, the monuments tell the story of the tumults and developments of the French Republic.
We begin our tour by going back in time to the beginning of the Second Empire in 1852, when the first monument on the square was erected, dedicated to Napoleon I. Designed by architects Pierre Manguin and Antonin Louvier, this monument included a majestic equestrian statue of the emperor sculpted by Émilien de Nieuwerkerke, accompanied by the allegories of The Law as Mars and The Force as Themis, made by Georges Diebolt. However, with the fall of the Second Empire in 1870, the statue of Napoleon was destroyed and the lateral allegories were moved to other locations in the city.
Then, in 1880, to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution, the city of Lyon decided to erect a new statue on the square: that of the Republic. Through a competition, Émile Peynot was chosen as the winner and created the majestic bronze statue, which has still stood here since its inauguration in 1889. This statue of the Republic, still present on the square, was installed on a 15-meter pedestal designed by the architect Victor-Auguste Blavette. Standing 7.5 meters high, the allegory of the Republic caresses a lion with her right hand and holds an olive branch in her left hand. At the time, as you can see in the archive images, the Statue of the Republic occupied a central place on the square and was magnificently surrounded by six other allegories perched on the pedestal: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, The City of Lyon, The Rhône and The Saône, representing republican values.
However, the vagaries of urban planning and the metro works in 1975 forced the statue to be moved, which is now on the side of the square, thus altering its original setting. Only two parts of the monument remain on Place Carnot. The monument you see and the Statue of the City of Lyon located opposite on the other side of the square. The allegory of Liberty, the allegory of Equality and the allegory of Fraternity were used to embellish the Bazin park, located in the 3rd arrondissement. The circle of fountains is destroyed, as are the statues of the Rhône and the Saône.
Today, Place Carnot remains a living testimony to France's turbulent history, where monuments embody the ideals and aspirations of an entire people.
- Anecdote
In 1889, the name of the square (Perrache Square from 1871 to 1889.) is changed in honor of the famous revolutionary Lazare Carnot, grandfather of the president… However, the construction of the monument was delayed and was not completed until 1894. An inauguration was planned for July 14 in the presence of President Sadi Carnot. However, he was tragically assassinated in Lyon a few weeks earlier, during an official visit for the Universal Exhibition. Consequently, there was never an “official” inauguration.
- Archive images
The statue of the Republic.
Monument to Napoleon I (1852), by Émilien de Nieuwerkerke.
Inscription(s) on the image: "28 - Lyon: The Statue of the Republic, Place Carnot".
Original state of the monument before dismantling in 1975.
Upper part of the Statue of the Republic.
Statue of the City of Lyon opposite on the other side of the square.
Monument of the Republic - Liberty - Place Georges BAZIN. She raises a torch high and walks on broken barriers. Protecting a mother feeding a baby while teaching another child. An old man, symbol of the past, embraces the mantle of Liberty. In the background, a Gallic rooster cries triumphantly.
Monument of the Republic - Equality - Place Georges BAZIN. She is represented by the Law, holding the Triangle on her knees as well as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Her left hand rests on Capital, symbolized by an individual holding a box containing precious objects. Her right hand is placed on Work, illustrated by a robust blacksmith accompanied by his tools: anvil, hammer and vice. This composition symbolizes the union of Capital and Work under the protection of the Law.
Monument of the Republic - Fraternity - Place Georges BAZIN. She encourages citizens to support each other. Her hand rests on the back of a partially raised man, who encourages another character to stand up straight. In the background, a press, feathers and pages of a book represent emancipation through culture. At the feet of the statue, a pelican surrounded by its young embodies generosity.
Ernest Meissonier, The Siege of Paris, oil on canvas, 1870-1884, Paris, Musée d'Orsay. "Memorial of the dead" and "heroic symphony of France", the painting allegorically represents the city of Paris as a woman surrounded by corpses and wounded overlooked by the Prussian eagle perched on the arm of the spectre of famine.
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