Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Brunoy's obelisk, also called Brunoy's pyramid, was erected in 1779 at the initiative of the Count of Provence, brother of Louis XVI, who modified the original project to make it an obelisk rather than a pyramid, for lack of financial resources. Designed by the architect Soufflot, assisted by Richard Mique and Michel-Barthélemy Hazon, he replaced the old cross of Malesherbes and became a hunting appointment for Louis XVI. Located at the entrance of Brunoy, on National Road 6, it also marked access to the forest of Senart, a royal estate.

At the Belle Époque, the obelisk became a popular resort for Parisians, surrounded by guinguettes and attracting millions of visitors, including celebrities such as the King of Morocco or Maurice Chevalier. The adjacent leisure park, Gervaise, alone welcomed 15 million visitors. This once animated site was also a black road point: in the 1960s, the obelisk was moved by a few meters to reduce congestion.

Ranked a historic monument in 1934, the obelisk was initially surrounded by two sculptures by Maurice Prost, installed in 1925 and moved in 2003 to the gardens of the Robert Dubois-Corneau Museum. These changes reflect its evolution, from a royal symbol to a local heritage integrated into the urban landscape. Today, there remains an architectural testimony of the eighteenth century and the social history of the region.

The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) confirm its status as a protected monument and its dual historical role: a place of power under the Old Regime, then a leisure space in modern times. Its exact address, 2 Place de la Pyramide, and its ranking in 1934 underline its heritage importance in the department of Essonne.

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