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Origin and history

The Stele of Marie Ravenel, located in Fermanville in the English Channel, is a memorial erected at the beginning of the twentieth century in honour of Marie Ravenel (1811-1893), Norman poet born in Rethoville. Daughter of farmers, she married Yves Le Corps, her father's servant, at 18, and published her first poems in 1852, despite a demanding rural life. His work, marked by a deep attachment to nature, was a notable success, with a reissue in 1860 and a complete edition in 1890.

In 1860, Marie Ravenel was awarded a gold medal at a literary convention. After his death in 1893, the poetic society La Violette Manchoise launched in 1904 a subscription to decorate his tomb with a medallion. Directed by sculptor Élisa Bloch and architect Mesnage, the monument takes the form of a menhir stele, evoking the megaliths of Val de Saire, a region dear to poets. The medallion represents Marie Ravenel at 40.

La stele, located at Place Marie-Ravenal in Fermanville, was classified as a historical monument by order of 18 August 2006. It symbolizes the tribute paid to a local literary figure, whose work combines peasant life and poetic sensitivity. The choice of menhir as a medium recalls its anchoring in the Norman heritage, between the Megalithic tradition and popular culture.

Marie Ravenel, although known for her talent, remained a modest peasant woman throughout her life, assisting in the Dominican offices. His literary heritage, preserved in his Complete Works (1890), bears witness to his dual identity: miller of the Val de Saire and poetic voice of Normandy.

The monument, owned by the commune of Fermanville, is part of a landscape marked by local mills and legends. Its location, near the valley of the Moulins, recalls the life setting of the author, between land and sea, source of inspiration of her verses.

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