Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The original monument, designed by architect Auguste Robert between 1826 and 1828, housed a marble statue of General Pichegru, carved by Dumont. It included bronze ornaments, four cast iron lions (Baudin foundries of Toulouse-le-Château) and water basins. This first ensemble was destroyed during the Revolution of 1830, where the statue was overthrown.

In 1857, the architect Achilles Paillot was commissioned to restore the monument. A new bronze statue, representing this time General Lecourbe, was installed, accompanied by two bas-reliefs signed by Etex. These elements bear the inscription FRANCE AT THE GENERAL LECOURBE. The monument, located at the site of an old fountain of 1725, was classified as a Historic Monument in 1997.

The present statue and its bas-reliefs, made in bronze, symbolize the national tribute to Claude-Jacques Lecourbe (1759–15), general of the Revolution and the Empire. The monument, owned by the municipality of Lons-le-Saunier, stands in Place de la République, in the heart of the city. Its exact location (33 Tamisier Street) reflects its integration into the historic urban space.

The transformations of the monument illustrate the political tensions of the 19th century: the destruction of the statue of Pichegru in 1830, perceived as a royalist symbol, then its replacement by Lecourbe, republican figure. The cast iron lions and ponds, preserved despite the modifications, recall the initial watering function of the site.

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