Colonne Victor Hugo, Protected heritage monument in Plancenoit, Belgium.
The Colonne Victor Hugo is a protected heritage monument in Plancenoit featuring an 18-meter high column rising from a square blue stone base. The structure is built from sixty courses of precisely cut stone blocks that create a solid, straightforward appearance.
The monument was built between 1911 and 1912 to mark the 50th anniversary of French writer Victor Hugo's visit to the Waterloo battlefield in 1860. This construction reflects a later recognition of his interest in this historic location.
The monument displays a bronze plaque showing Hugo's portrait alongside another bearing his words about preferring peace over war. These inscriptions reflect how the community honored the writer as a symbol of peaceful values.
The monument underwent extensive restoration work from 2012 to 2013 to repair damage to its capital and address structural cracks. These repairs secured the structural integrity and appearance of the site for future visitors.
The Walloon Brabant province acquired this monument for one symbolic euro in 2010 along with a nearby memorial called L'Aigle blessé. This unusual purchase reflects the determination to preserve these locations as publicly accessible spaces.
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