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Origin and history

The monument to Marceau, erected in 1851 at Chartres on Place des Épars, is a 3 meters high bronze statue by sculptor Auguste Préault. She paid tribute to General François Séverin Marceau, who was born there in 1769 and died in 1796 in Germany. The base, designed by architect Jean-Baptiste Antoine Lassus, initially completed the whole, placed in the center of the square. This monument was the first public achievement of Préault, supported by a mobilization of the Parisian and liberal elites in favour of this revolutionary hero.

In 2017, during the redevelopment of the Place des Épars, the statue was moved to the outlet of the Rue du Grand-Faubourg. The pedestal base was removed, thus lowering the statue, and the monument was inscribed as historical monuments in the same year. A notable feature is that the pedestal contains a cavity containing part of General Marceau's ashes, highlighting the commemorative and symbolic character of the work.

The monument, owned by the commune of Chartres, is now protected for its historical and artistic importance. The two inscriptions on the pedestal recall its link to local and national memory. The work embodies both the homage to a child of the city and the testimony of revolutionary struggles, while illustrating the urban evolution of Chartres over the centuries.

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