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Origin and history

The Marianne Fountain, also known as the République Fountain, is an emblematic monument of Justey, Haute-Saône. Designed in the 19th century, it is distinguished by its stone basin topped by a metal pedestal decorated with dolphins, and crowned by a cast iron statue of Marianne. This allegory of the Republic, draped with an antique and dressed in a lion's skin, holds a shield and a hand of justice in his left hand, while his right hand brandishes a triangle, symbol of republican values: Freedom, Equality, Fraternity. Other attributes, such as the crown of wheat and grapes, evoke the Mother Republic, and the strength is represented by the lion's skin.

The fountain has undergone several locations and transformations. Originally installed in 1870 on the church square, it was moved in 1920 to the Liberation Square to give way to the monument to the dead. This displacement gave rise to a local expression: "the Republic was inclined to the sacrifice of the Poilus". Marianne's statue dates back to the Second Republic (1849) and has a turbulent history: auctioned in 1852 after Napoleon III's coup d'état, it was secretly bought by former Republican mayor Jean-Pierre Bony, then left to the municipality in 1884.

The fountain is part of a set of 19 fountains and wash houses built in Jussey between 1869 and 1870 under the direction of the Vesulian architect Charles Dodelier. Originally, it was surmounted by an allegorical statue of Agriculture, replaced in 1886 by the present Marianne. The latter is considered the oldest statue of Marianne erected in a public square in France. Ranked a historic monument in 2000, it reflects the political tensions of the 19th century and the anchoring of republican values in the local heritage.

The work, although its sculptor remains anonymous, embodies republican ideals through its symbols. The triangle, often associated with Freemasonry, represents here explicitly the motto Freedom-Equality-Fraternity. The fountain, owned by the commune, is a remarkable example of 19th-century public art, mixing utility function (water distribution) and political message. His move in 1920 also marked a transition into collective memory, where the memory of the deaths of the Great War took precedence over Republican symbols.

Today, Marianne Fountain remains a historical and cultural landmark in Justsey. It illustrates both the urban evolution of the city, the political struggles of the 19th century and the persistence of republican values in public space. Its inscription in historical monuments in 2000 enshrines its heritage importance, while recalling the vicissitudes of its history, from its creation under the Second Republic to its present place in the place of Liberation.

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