The Monument to the Battle of Formigny

The Monument to the Battle of Formigny, a bronze statue installed on the commune of Formigny, in the Calvados department, in the Normandy region, is a witness to the victory that ended the ambitions of the English in Normandy. The battle of Formigny took place on 15 April 1450. The work was created by the sculptor Arthur Le Duc, who depicted the figures of the connétable de Richemont and the comte de Clermont, who commanded the army of Charles VII. The figures frame an allegory representing a victorious France. The allegory holds a crown of laurels and a palm in its left hand, symbols of victory, and holds a sword in its right hand towards Cherbourg, designating the next objective.

The monument and its pedestal are inscribed in the monuments historiques. Despite the consideration of its dismantling and casting during the occupation for the mobilization of non-ferrous metals, the monument was spared because it celebrates a victory against the English. Other bronze statues were also spared due to the same argument: the statue of the connétable de Richemont in Vannes and the statue of du Guesclin in Caen, both by the same artist, as well as that of Napoléon Ier in Cherbourg, the work of Armand Le Véel.

The sculpture is placed on a limestone pedestal designed by Auguste Nicolas. A bronze bas-relief is fixed on the front face of the pedestal, representing the battle. The monument was put in place in 1903.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons