Statue de Napoléon Empereur Romain, Fontaine des 4 lions
The statue de Napoléon Empereur Romain, Fontaine des 4 lions is a monument to Napoleon Bonaparte in Ajaccio , the capital of the island of Corsica .
It is located in the old town of Ajaccio, on the west side of Place Foch .
Design and history
The statue of Napoleon was created by Francesco Massimiliano Laborer from 1804 during the Emperor's lifetime . It shows Napoleon as First Consul . The statue, which has been planned since 1801, was the result of a request from the French ambassador in Rome , François Cacault , who was also a collector and patron . However, the statue, completed in 1806, met with little interest from Napoleon. Napoleon's half-uncle, Cardinal Joseph Fesch , then bought the statue. After Fesch's death in 1839, the statue became the property of the city of Ajaccio in accordance with his testamentary regulation. The city architect Jérôme Maglioli , commissioned with an appropriate installation of the statue, designed the fountain adorned by four lions, in the middle of which the statue rises on a high plinth. Napoleon's gaze is turned to the east towards the harbor.
The base is decorated with four reliefs. The one on the front shows the emperor crowned by the Roman goddess of victory Victoria .
The inauguration took place on May 5, 1850, the 29th anniversary of Napoleon's death.
Web links
Coordinates: 41 ° 55 ′ 7.9 " N , 8 ° 44 ′ 17.9" E