Desaix monument

Manon COUCAUD & Naïs BATISSE write...

Interviews of local people on what they think of the Desaix statue on the roundabout, Boulevard Clémentel:

Richard, 73: “Though it is on the very busy boulevard Clement, nobody really notices this statue, despite the floral decoration, because it is stuck in the middle of a roundabout! I do not know the story of this statue at all though I have lived in this town more than ten years… I only know that it is the statue of Desaix because you told me!”

Adrien, Richard’s grandson, aged 8, adds: “I never noticed there was a fountain there!”

Mathieu, a middle-aged man: “Yes, I pass every day in front of it to go to work, but I never really give it much attention. It is a very big statue… It must be of someone important?”

Anne-Laure, Mathieu’s wife, adds: “I think it’s a very beautiful statue! I work at the museum, so I know a little about it. It’s a famous statue that used to be in Paris. It’s in marble, and was made in 1802, in the Neo-Classical style. We are very lucky to have such a beautiful monument in our town. It's a pity people do not realize it!”

Jeanne, 86: “When I open my shutters in the morning, I see this statue. I have always lived in Riom and this monument has always been there. My three brothers and I, when we were small, often dipped our feet in the fountain basin in summer. Happy memories! However, I do not know anything about the statue; I believe my husband knew the history of this monument well...”

Magalie, 17: “We pass in front of it every day when we go to school, but never pay much attention to it.”

Romain, 17: “I didn't realize it's a fountain!”