Paris: the Lion of Belfort will soon be restored - here's its story

If you're accustomed to crossing the Place Denfert-Rochereau in Paris's 14th arrondissement, then you'll be familiar with the imposing sculpture enthroned in the middle. Nicknamed the Lion of Belfort, this work of art is one of the upcoming restorations planned for the capital in 2025, alongside the choir organ in Saint-Eustache church and the Saint-Michel fountain.

As revealed by the City of Paris, the work will be restored between September 2025 and the end of 2025. By the way, do you know the history and origins of the Lion of Belfort?

Overlooking the imposing Place Denfert-Rochereau in Paris, the Lion of Belfort is a sculpture by the famous Auguste Bartholdi, whose full name was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904). A French sculptor and painter, Auguste Bartholdi was notably responsible for the iconic Statue of Liberty in New York, designed in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel.

Between 1875 and 1879,Auguste Bartholdi also created the Lion of Belfort, a monumental sculpture to be admired in Belfort, more precisely at the foot of the citadel cliff. This imposing lion, lying on a pedestal, commemorates the town's resistance to the Prussian siege during the 1870-1871 war. During this resistance, one man's name stood out: that of Colonel Aristide Denfert-Rochereau, nicknamed the " Lion of Belfort ".

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In Paris, the Lion of Belfort is a reduced replica of the original work installed in eastern France. Although only a third of its original size, the Paris sculpture is 7 meters long and 4 meters high. Initially, the copper-plate sculpture was to have been installed in the Buttes-Chaumont area. But a petition from residents of the 14th arrondissement changed all that. They wanted to honor the memory of Aristide Denfert-Rochereau during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. In 1880, a replica of the Lion of Belfort was finally inaugurated on the Place Denfert-Rochereau. Since June 17, 2003, the Lion of Belfort in Paris has been listed as a historic monument.

After being restored in 2001, the Lion of Belfort will again undergo restoration work in 2025, to give it a facelift!