François Villon, Bronze statue in square Paul-Langevin, 5th arrondissement, Paris, France

The François Villon statue is a bronze figure by René Collamarini, unveiled in 1947 and set on a stone base at the centre of square Paul-Langevin, near the corner of rue Monge and rue des Écoles. Villon is shown standing, in the dress of a medieval scholar, framed by the square's trees and the facades of the surrounding buildings.

The bronze statue by René Collamarini was unveiled in 1947 on square Paul-Langevin, near the site of the former Collège de Navarre where Villon studied. It was erected as part of a post-war effort to commemorate Parisian literary figures in the Latin Quarter.

The statue sits in the Latin Quarter, the very neighborhood where Villon lived as a student and spent his formative years. This location connects the literary past of the district with the memory of a poet whose life and writings were deeply tied to these streets.

The statue is freely accessible at any time since it sits on a public square. Square Paul-Langevin is located at the intersection of rue Monge and rue des Écoles and is easily reached on foot.

René Collamarini's 1947 bronze shows Villon barefoot and in tattered clothing, a deliberate contrast with the formal pedestal setting of square Paul-Langevin. Look for the poet's downward gaze, which turns the figure inward rather than toward the passers-by.