# Monument à la République

The Monument à la République (French pronunciation:), also called Statue de la République, 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.

## 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. 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 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] 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 :
| 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 |
| 4 September 1870 | Proclamation of the 3rd French Republic [fr] |
| 14 July 1880 | First Bastille Day |

### Lion

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

## Notes and References

    1.^ It is the opposite of the representation of the Statue of Liberty by Auguste Bartholdi from the same period, which holds the torch in her right hand and has a broken chain at her feet.
    2.^ Sometimes attributed by mistake to Jules Dalou.
    3.^ The process in fact extends over the sessions of March 2 and March 4, where the principle of universal suffrage is accepted, then the decree is adopted on March 5.
    4.^ It is sometimes said that it represents the abolition of slavery but this is a confusion with the decree of the Provisional Government of the 4 March 1848 that institutes the "commission pour préparer, dans le plus bref délai, l'acte d'émancipation immédiate dans toutes les colonies de la République" and named Victor Schœlcher as its president but the decree that really abolishes slavery dates from the 27 April 1848.
* ↑ "La République se dévoile". mairie3.paris.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
* ↑ Perchet, Dominique (26 December 2011). "Statue de la République – Place de la République – Paris (75011)". e-monumen.net (in French). Retrieved 10 July 2024.
* ↑ Perchet, Dominique (26 December 2011). "Monument de la République -12 hauts-reliefs – Place de la République – Paris (75011)". e-monumen.net (in French). Retrieved 10 July 2024.
* ↑ "Une République … bien plantée". anetcha-parisienne.blogspot.com (in French). 21 October 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
* ↑ Perchet, Dominique (9 May 2017). "La République – Paris (75011)". e-monumen.net (in French).