Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Jean Colardeau's monument, located at Place d'Orléans in Janville-en-Beauce, pays tribute to the poet who was born in 1732 and died in 1776, son of the receiver of the local salt attic. Celebrated as one of the great French poets of the second half of the eighteenth century, his memory was honoured in his native village thanks to the vogue of representations of illustrious characters. Originally, the project was proposed in 1900 by the mayor of Bondy, descendant of the poet, who offered 300 francs for a bronze bust, but the municipality of Janville first adjourned the initiative.

In February 1901 the local newspaper Le Réveil de Janville launched the project through a public subscription, supported by a local committee and a Parisian committee. The figures involved included sculptor Eugene Guillaume and deputy Gustave Lhopiteau. The architect Raoul Brandon, originally from Chartres, was in charge of the project in 1901 or early 1902, designing a monument to the theatrical atmosphere. The final plans were sent in August 1903, and the monument was inaugurated on 29 May 1904.

The monument, composed of a bronze bust on a stone base, also includes a basin. It was completely classified by decree of 17 April 2025, thus becoming a protected part of the local heritage. Its location, at the end of Rue de la Porte d'Orléans, makes it a central point of Place d'Orléans, extended by the mail Colardeau, two emblematic public spaces of Janville-en-Beauce.

External links