In the heart of Bordeaux, the Monument aux Girondins stands as a symbol of a contentious historical group. The group, known as girondins, were either defended or opposed by nearly everyone, a division that is memorialised in this artwork. The monument's history begins with the opening of a competition in 1887 to honour the Girondins. The competition was won by French sculptor, Auguste-Jean-Denis Boyer, who proposed a project titled 'Alta fa qui pot' - a phrase meaning 'as if anyone could' in the local Occitan.
However, Boyer did not execute his plan for the monument; instead, the Leblanc-Barbedienne foundry in Paris created the bronze group 'Le mensonge, le vice et l’ignorance'. This work is one of the most controversial aspects of the monument, eliciting disgust and derision from many in Bordeaux. Today, the monument's circumference is filled with plaques commemorating the Girondins, reflecting the divisive sentiments in the city. The monument encapsulates all the uncertainty that the legacy of this movement inspires.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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