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The statue of Charlemagne is a prominent public monument topped by an equestrian statue of Charlemagne in
The city authorities endorsed Jehotte's suggestion of a Charlemagne monument in 1860, and in 1862 also agreed to locate it on Jehotte's recommendation on the central Place Saint-Lambert, where the Cathedral of Saint Lambert had stood until its demolition in the late 18th century. The latter decision was modified in 1863, however, when the municipality opted for the current spot, on a square at the crossing of ' and ', in what was then a newly developed neighborhood. Jehotte contested that decision in court, but lost; he completed the work in his Brussels workshop in 1867. The monument was inaugurated on 26 July 1868 in the presence of , Governor of the
The statue of Charlemagne is a prominent public monument topped by an equestrian statue of Charlemagne in Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
, created by sculptor Louis Jehotte in 1867.
History
Louis Jehotte suggested the idea of the monument to the city of Liège in 1855 based on his lifelong interest on Charlemagne, about whom he would later coauthor an essay jointly with his friend André van Hasselt, published in 1880. In this, Jehotte echoed a broader aspiration for national heroes in the young Belgian nation. But his effort was complicated by uncertainty about the exact location of Charlemagne's birthplace, with Liège being only one of the contenders.
The city authorities endorsed Jehotte's suggestion of a Charlemagne monument in 1860, and in 1862 also agreed to locate it on Jehotte's recommendation on the central Place Saint-Lambert, where the Cathedral of Saint Lambert had stood until its demolition in the late 18th century. The latter decision was modified in 1863, however, when the municipality opted for the current spot, on a square at the crossing of ' and ', in what was then a newly developed neighborhood. Jehotte contested that decision in court, but lost; he completed the work in his Brussels workshop in 1867. The monument was inaugurated on 26 July 1868 in the presence of , Governor of the Liège Province
Liège (; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is the easternmost province of the Wallonia region of Belgium.
Liège Province is the only Belgian province that has borders with three countries. It borders (clockwise from the north) the Du ...
.
In 1888, three of the pedestal's statues were damaged by vandalism. The entire monument was renovated in 2011–2012.
Description
Charlemagne is represented wearing achlamys
The chlamys (Ancient Greek: χλαμύς : chlamýs, genitive: χλαμύδος : chlamydos) was a type of an ancient Greek cloak.
and tunic, with a short sword on his side, and extending his arm in a gesture of friendship and protection towards France.
On the pedestal stand depictions of his father Pepin the Short
the Short (french: Pépin le Bref; – 24 September 768), also called the Younger (german: Pippin der Jüngere), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian to become king.
The younger was the son of ...
, mother Bertrada of Laon, grandfather Charles Martel, great-grandfather Pepin of Herstal, great-great-grandmother Begga
Saint Begga (also Begue, Begge) (b. 613 – d. 17 December 693 AD) was the daughter of Pepin of Landen, mayor of the palace of Austrasia, and his wife Itta of Metz. She is also the grandmother of Charles Martel, who is the grandfather of Charlem ...
and the latter's father Pepin of Landen. This choice of depicted ancestors reflects Jehotte's focus on the branch of Charlemagne's family that originated in Liège and its neighborhood.
See also
* Statue of Charlemagne (Aachen) * Equestrian statue of Charlemagne (Cornacchini) *Alte Brücke (Frankfurt)
Alte Brücke (German: "old bridge") is a bridge in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. It is the oldest bridge over the lower course of the river Main, and until 1886 was the only stone bridge crossing the river. From the Middle Ages until the year 1914, ...
* Charlemagne et ses Leudes
* Iconography of Charlemagne
The rich iconography of Charlemagne is a reflection of Charlemagne's special position in Europe's collective memory, as the greatest of the Frankish kings, first Holy Roman Emperor, unifier of Western Europe, protector of the Catholic Church, prom ...
Notes
{{RefList Statues of monarchs Cultural depictions of Charlemagne