Colonne Marceau, Historical monument in Chartres, France
Colonne Marceau is a tall stone obelisk on Place Marceau in the center of Chartres, made of pale Saint-Leu stone. It rises from the paving near café terraces, with a narrow pointed top and a few carved details on its sides.
The column was put up in the year X of the French revolutionary calendar to honor General François Séverin Marceau, born in Chartres. Its stone came from the former church of Saint-Saturnin, where the future general had been baptized and which was demolished in 1793.
The local name of the monument keeps alive the memory of a general born in Chartres, and passersby often pause next to it while crossing the square. Today it serves as a familiar landmark for meeting up, sitting nearby, or starting a walk around the old town.
The place is easy to reach on foot from the old center, and the column stands in an open pedestrian area. You can walk all the way around it, and mornings or late afternoons are usually quieter for a closer look.
In 2015, the monument lost its large stone base during the renovation of the square and was moved eight meters south. That change gave more room to outdoor café tables while leaving the column slightly shifted from its original position.
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