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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The obelisk of Villeneuve-le-Comte was built in 1735 to mark the meeting between Louis XV and the Duke of Brandenburg during a hunting event in the forest of Crécy. Originally, its eastern and western sides wore royal bas-reliefs (scepter, hand of justice), vandalized during the Revolution. The north and south faces, still visible, symbolize hunting (arc, carquois) and logging (honey, Latin inscription dedicated to Diane, Roman goddess).

The missing Latin inscription, translated by Robert Martin, referred to forest management and the fight against fraud in the timber trade. The monument, 15 meters high, is surmounted by an earth globe submerged by waves and lightnings, interpreted by some (such as Fulcanelli in The Philosopheral Homes, 1930) as an esoteric allegory of the destruction of the world by water and fire. A plaque commemorates its restoration in 2000, inaugurated by Prefect Cyril Schott.

Ranked a historic monument in 1921, the obelisk stands in the centre of a six-point star junction, the highest point of the forest (134 m), at the crossroads of RN 36 (Melun-Meaux), RD 231 (Lagny-Provins) and a hiking trail (GR 14). The site, frequented by its picnic areas, is also marked by contemporary uses such as a work by the artist Invader (2023) or a regional prostitution area.

The crossroads, formerly called a three-path crossroad, is bordered by 15 identical terminals and a built-up pond. Its future development aims at fluidizing traffic. The architectural references (base Mérimée) place it in the communes of Villeneuve-le-Comte, Mortcerf and Dammartin-sur-Tigeaux, in Seine-et-Marne (Île-de-France).

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