The meridian obelisk, located in Manchecourt, France, is an historic monument dating back to the 18th century. It is one of three surviving obelisks on the Paris meridian project. The obelisk, made of stone, stands 7 meters high and is surmounted by a small sphere finished with a stake. Its four faces are oriented according to the four cardinal points. An inscription on the south face reads 'Méridienne de l'observatoire de Paris établie par Cassini en 1748'.
The meridian was erected in 1748 as part of a project by Cassini to mark the meridian with a hundred commemorative obelisks. After the fleur-de-lis surmounting it was replaced by a stake, the obelisk was pulled down in 1794 and its stones were used to pave the road. The residents of Manchecourt were forced to rebuild it in 1795 at their own expense. It was classified as a historic monument on September 16, 1916.
In 1931, the obelisk was moved to the side of the road. It remains one of the three surviving obelisks from Cassini's project, along with the mire du Nord in Paris and the meridian of Orveau-Bellesauve, which is located 4.65 km to the north.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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