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Origin and history

The monument to Armand de Briqueville, located in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (formerly Octeville), is erected in memory of a Napoleonic cavalry colonel and deputy of the English Channel. Born in 1785 in a family of Norman nobility, Armand de Briqueville became illustrious during the wars of the Empire, participating in the battles of Jena, Wagram, Krasnoi, and Antwerp. Faithful to Napoleon, he also distinguished himself during the Cent-Days, especially in Waterloo, where he insisted on walking in the cannon. He was seriously wounded in 1815 and then retired to his land before entering a political career marked by his opposition to the Bourbons.

After his death in 1844, a public subscription financed a bronze bust made by David d'Angers, inaugurated in 1850 on the Quai de Caligny. The granite pedestal, designed by architect Lemelle, bears the names of four key battles (Wagram, Krasnoï, Antwerp, Versailles) and was once decorated with reliefs symbolizing his military and parliamentary career, melted during the occupation. The monument, classified in 2006, embodies the romantic tribute to a controversial soldier and politician, mixing Napoleonic loyalty and Republican commitment.

Armand de Briqueville is buried at the Aiguillon Cemetery in Cherbourg. Its bust, of colossal Hermès style, measures 1.45 meters and rests on a 4 meters base, showing popular admiration for this complex character. The committee responsible for the monument, independent of local authorities, reflects the Cherbourgeois' attachment to their history, despite the vicissitudes of the conflicts of the 20th century having partially altered the original work.

The family of Briqueville, born of the Norman nobility, included among its ancestors Musketeers and figures of the caulianry, like his father, shot in 1796 for royalism. Armand, raised in the hatred of the Bourbons by his mother, nevertheless embraced a military career under Napoleon, becoming an officer of the Emperor's ordinance. His journey illustrates the tensions of the time, between imperial fidelity and monarchical opposition, as well as the political fractures of post-revolutionary France.

The monument, originally planned in 1844, experienced delays due to administrative and financial delays. The bronze reliefs, which disappeared in 1944, represented a sword for his military career and a forum for his parliamentary engagement. These elements, melted by the German army, highlight the property losses associated with world conflicts. Today, the statue remains a local symbol, celebrating both military heroism and the resistant spirit of a man marked by the upheavals of the nineteenth century.

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