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Origin and history

The fountain of the Pyramid was erected at Clermont-Ferrand in tribute to General Louis Desaix, who died in 1800 at the Battle of Marengo. Born in the region, Desaix was a talented general, Chief of Staff of the Army of England under Napoleon. The city, with the written approval of Bonaparte, entrusted the project to architect Pierre Laurent, who designed an obelisk inspired by the countryside of Egypt, placed on a pedestal and surrounded by a basin. The works, begun in 1801, were made of Volvic stone by sculptor Joseph Chinard, although financial tensions limited the ornaments delivered.

The monument, initially sober, was completed a century later, in 1903, with additional decorative elements: armorial shields from Auvergne, corner vases, and marble plates. The obelisk, surmounted by a urn intended to welcome the heart of Desaix, rests on a pedestal decorated with metal mascarons, sphinxes, and trophies. The faces of the base bear inscriptions and lion masks spitting water, while bay garlands and horns of abundance mark its commemorative character. The fountain, classified as a historical monument in 1992, stands today at the crossroads of the boulevards Lafayette and Léon-Malfret.

The choice of Volvic stone, a local volcanic material, and the references to Egypt (obelisk, sphinx) recall both the Auvergnate identity and the military campaigns of Desaix. The conflicts between Chinard and the municipality, linked to late payments, explain why some original decorative elements, such as metal mascarons, were the only ones delivered before the 19th century. The additions of 1903, including regional symbols (the shields of Auvergne), strengthened its territorial anchor.

Located near the Lecoq garden, the fountain marks a central point of the city, at the crossroads of major roads. Its inscription in the historical monuments in 1992 enshrines its heritage importance, combining local history, Napoleonic memory and commemorative art. Desaix's heart, though destined for the summital urn, was never deposited in the monument, adding a symbolic dimension to this hybrid work, both public fountain and military tribute.

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