Au Sergent Blandan, Memorial statue in the 1st arrondissement, Lyon, France
Au Sergent Blandan is a memorial statue on Place Sathonay in Lyon's 1st arrondissement, dedicated to a Lyon-born soldier who died in Algeria in 1842. It shows Blandan in military uniform, mounted on a stone base in an open public square.
The first statue honoring Blandan was put up in the late 19th century, but in 1941 occupying forces had it melted down to recover the metal. A new stone version was unveiled in 1962, the same year Algeria gained independence.
The statue stands on Place Sathonay, a lively square in the 1st arrondissement where locals often gather to play pétanque. Having a military figure at the center of such an everyday space creates a contrast that visitors tend to notice.
The memorial stands on a public square and is freely accessible at any time of day. Stopping by in the morning or early evening gives a calmer view, before the café terraces around the square fill up.
The current statue is a stone copy made after the original bronze was melted down during World War II. It stands near a monument to Jacquard, the inventor of the mechanical loom, making for an unexpected pairing of military and industrial history on the same square.
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