Verdun - Carrefour des Maréchaux

At the Carrefour des Maréchaux (Crossroads of the Marshals), located at the foot of the bastions in the old moat of the fortifications, sixteen monumental statues are of great military officers of the Empire, the War of 1870 and 1914-1918. The commission for these statues - originally 17 - was given between the two World Wars to young artists, Prix de Rome, and the intended use was originally the Louvre Museum in Paris (presumably a series of niches in the facade of the Rue de Rivoli). But when the work was finished, they realized the statues were... too large.

In 1960 the mayor of Verdun, François Schleiter, thought that the statues of marshals, generals and an admiral would be a beautiful addition for his heroic the city. He wrote to André Malraux, Minister of State for Cultural Affairs, who replied positively (it would give also more space in the warehouse). The statues were transported to Verdun, where they remain in their crates for five years until the new Mayor, Andrew Beauguitte, finally takes the initiative to set them on theor place. At that time was found out that one of 17 statues disappeared, Maréchal Joffre. A trace of this statue was never found.

The 16 sandstone statues are placed in four rows along the Avenue du 5eme R.A.P.
1-9, 12: Premier empire
10-11: Second Empire and the Third Republic
13-16 First World War
1, 2, 5, and 8 were no "Maréchal de France"

MARBOT

1. Jean-Baptiste Marcellin de Marbot
Altillac 1782 - Paris 1854
General of the French Empire
(Wikipedia).

CAMBRONNE

2. Pierre Cambronne
Nantes 1770 - Nantes 1842
General of the French Empire
(Wikipedia).

Sculpted by Julien Causse
Signed: J. Causse

SERURIER

3. Jean-Mathieu Sérurier
Laon 1742 - Paris 1819
Marshal of France
(Wikipedia).

SERURIER

4. Georges Mouton comte de Lobau
Phalsbourg 1770 - Paris 1838
Marshal of France
(Wikipedia).

JUNOT

5. Jean-Andoche Junot, duc d'Abrantès
dit «la Tempête»
Bussy-le-Grand 1771 - Montbard 1813
French general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
(Wikipedia).

MORTIER

6. Édouard Mortier
Le Cateau Cambrésis 1768 - Paris 1835
French general and Marshal of France under Napoleon I
(Wikipedia).

Sculpted by F. Chauvet
Signed: F. Chauvet 1931

CLAUZEL

7. Bertrand Clauzel
Mirepoix 1772 - Cintegabelle 1842
Marshal of France
(Wikipedia).

CAULAINCOURT

8. Armand marquis de Caulaincourt, duc de Vicence
Caulaincourt 1773 - Paris 1827
French general and diplomat
(Wikipedia).

Sculpted by Armand Bloch
Signed: armand BLOCH / 1923

EXELMANS

9. Rémy Exelmans
Bar-le-Duc 1775 - Saint-Cloud 1852
Marshal of France
(Wikipedia).

D'AURELLES DE PALADINES

10. Louis d'Aurelle de Paladines
Malzieu-ville 1804 - Versailles 1877
Marshal of France
(Wikipedia).

Sculpted by Suzanne Lifraud
Signed: s. lifraud / 1929

MARGUERITTE

11. Jean-Auguste Margueritte
Manheulles 1824 - Beauraing (Belgique) 1870
Marshal of France
(Wikipedia).

LA RONCIERE

12. François Marie Clément de La Roncière
Amiens 1773 - Paris 1854
French general
(Wikipedia).

Sculpted by Louis Bertrand
Signed: Louis BERTRAND / 1930

FRANCHET D'ESPEREY

13. Louis Franchet d'Espèrey
Mostaganem (Algérie française) 1856 - Saint-Amancet 1942
Marshal of France
(Wikipedia).

Sculpted by Louis Janthial
Signed: janthial / 1936

GALLIENI

14. Joseph Gallieni
Saint-Béat 1849 - Versailles 1916
French general and administrator in the French colonies, Marshal of France (posthumously in 1921)
(Wikipedia).

Sculpted by Auguste Maillard
Signed: aug. maillard

FAYOLLE

15. Marie Émile Fayolle
Le Puy-en-Velay 1852 - Paris 1928
Marshal of France
(Wikipedia).

MAUNOURY

16. Michel Joseph Maunoury
Maintenon 1847 - 1923
Marshal of France
(Wikipedia).

Statues - Hither & Thither

Carrefour des Maréchaux

Crossroads of the Marshals

Description

Artists

Sources & Information

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Location (N 49°9'23" - E 5°22'15") (Satellite view: Google Maps)