Monument à la République

The Monument à la République (French pronunciation: [mɔnymɑ̃ a la ʁepyblik]), also called Statue de la République ([staty də la ʁepyblik]), is a Monumental sculpture, made by the sculptor Léopold Morice. Inaugurated in 1883 on the Place de la République in Paris, it represents Marianne, an allegory of the republic.

Monument à la République

Location	Place de la République, Paris (France)
Coordinates	48.8675°N 2.3638°E / 48.8675; 2.3638
Designer	Léopold and Charles Morice
Type	Sculpture
Material	Bronze, stone
Width	13 m (42 ft 8 in)
Height	25 m (82 ft 0 in)
Inauguration date	14 July 1883
Protection	Monument historique (since 2021)

Alfred Roll, Le 14 juillet 1880, inauguration du Monument à la République (1882), Petit Palais, Paris.

History

On 10 May 1891, Pierre Martinet—founder of individualist anarchism—organized a rally to honor the victims of the Fourmies massacre, an event that had occurred on the same day as the Clichy affair nine days earlier.^[1] During the gathering, anarchists laid floral wreaths at the base of the monument.^[2]

Description of the monument

General description

The monument is located in the center of the Place de la République, at the tripoint between the 3rd, 10th and 11th arrondissements.

The bronze statue is 9.5 m high on a 15.5 m stone pedestal with a diameter of 13 m at ground level.^[3] The pedestal is decorated with 3 statues each representing one of the 3 words of the french motto, liberty, equality, fraternity. Around the pedestal, under those statues, are a group of 12 high reliefs in bronze representing significant dates for the French Republic. A bronze statue of a lion symbolizing universal suffrage is at the foot of the monument. A fountain was added in 2013 at ground level.

Statue de la République

The statue of Marianne.

The top of the pedestal is occupied by a 9.5 m high statue of Marianne, symbolizing the Republic. She is represented standing, wearing a toga and a baldric on which is mounted a sword. She is dressed at the same time with a Phrygian cap, symbol of liberty and a plant crown.

In her right hand, the statue bears an olive branch, a peace symbol. Her left hand rests on a tablet with the inscription "human rights" (French: droits de l'homme).

The bronzes were cast by Fonderie Thiébaut Frères [fr]^[4][5][6] in 1883.

Pedestal

The pedestal was made by the architect François-Charles Morice [fr], the brother of the sculptor. It consists of two distinct cylindrical parts: one about 4 m high; the other above it, longer and narrower. The higher part holds the Marianne and is decorated under her feet by a bronze garland, the coat of arms of Paris, and the inscription "to the glory of the French Republic - the city of Paris - 1883" (French: à la gloire de la République Française - la ville de Paris - 1883).

Around the column are three stone statues, each one an allegory of a word of the French motto.

• La Liberté is seated to the left of the Republic. She wears a torch in her left hand, her right hand rests on her knee holding a broken chain. In the background, an oak is sculpted in relief in the column.
• L'Égalité is seated to the right. She holds the flag of the Republic in her right hand, whose pole is marked with the initials "R.F."; in her left hand she holds a carpenter level, a symbol of equality.
• La Fraternité, behind Marianne, is represented by a woman casting her caring gaze on two children reading a book, an allegory of knowledge. A sheaf of wheat and a bouquet evoke abundance.

Two medallions marked with Labor and Pax, decorated with fasces are found on the sides.

• 
  La Liberté
• 
  L'Égalité
• 
  La Fraternité

High reliefs

The stone pedestal is surrounded with twelve high reliefs in bronze, made by Léopold Morice. Connected with rosettes and arranged at eye level, they constitute a chronology of events marking the history of the French Republic, between 1789 and 1880 :

Image	Date	Événement
	20 June 1789	Tennis Court Oath
	14 July 1789	Storming of the Bastille
	4 August 1789	Abolition of feudalism
	14 July 1790	Fête de la Fédération
	11 July 1792	Proclamation of « La Patrie en danger »
	20 September 1792	Battle of Valmy
	21 September 1792	Proclamation of the abolition of the monarchy
	1 June 1794	Glorious First of June
	29 July 1830	July Revolution
	4 March 1848	Adoption of the universal male suffrage[7]
	4 September 1870	Proclamation of the 3rd French Republic  [fr]
	14 July 1880	First Bastille Day

Lion

The lion

A 3 m tall bronze lion is located at ground level beside an urn labeled "universal suffrage" (French: suffrage universel).