The Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi is a monumental statue in Nice, installed in Place Garibaldi on the axis of Viale della Repubblica. It was created by sculptors Antoine Étex and Gustave Deloye and inaugurated on October 4, 1891. The monument was the result of a decision by the Nice city council in 1882, followed by a public subscription and a site selection in 1885. Étex died before the work was completed, and the project was later taken over by Gustave Deloye, who also enlarged the pedestal and bronze lions for technical reasons.
The statue shows Garibaldi facing toward Torino, wearing a red shirt, with his right fist clenched and his left arm resting on a sword. Beneath it is a bronze allegorical group representing France and Italy, along with two bronze lions symbolizing Menotti and Ricciotti. The pedestal bears the inscription “A Garibaldi / la sua città natale.” The monument was listed as a French historic monument by decree on July 23, 2009.
Nearby Objects
-
Place Garibaldi 0 m away -
Chapelle du Saint-Sépulcre 50 m away -
Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Nice 100 m away -
Église Saint-Martin-Saint-Augustin 150 m away
Monument in Place Garibaldi
The Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi is a monumental statue in Nizza. It was created by the sculptors Antoine Etex and Gustave Deloye. The monument was inaugurated in 1891 in Place Garibaldi, giving it a clear association with one of the city's named public spaces.
Planning and Completion of the Monument
The Nice city council decided on June 4, 1882, to erect a monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi. A public subscription was launched for the project, but it did not achieve the expected success. In 1885, the site was chosen at Place Garibaldi, formerly Piazza Vittorio. Antoine Ettex was selected as the sculptor, but he died in 1888 before the work was completed. Dominique Ciotti was responsible for building the pedestal, but he also died before finishing it. Gustave Deloye then took over the direction of the works and, for technical reasons, quadrupled the dimensions of the pedestal and the bronze lions. The monument was inaugurated on October 4, 1891. The Garibaldian Society of Nice placed flowers on the monument every June 2 until the 1970s. On July 23, 2009, the monument was listed as a French historic monument by decree.
Design and Symbolism of the Garibaldi Monument
The Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi is located in Piazza Garibaldi, along the axis of Viale della Repubblica. The statue of Garibaldi faces toward Torino. He is shown wearing a red shirt, with his right fist tightly held and his left arm resting on a sword. Beneath the statue is a bronze allegorical group representing France and Italy. The France figure wears a Phrygian cap and holds a flagpole topped by a rooster, while the Italy figure holds a flagpole decorated with a Roman wolf.
The bronze pedestal bears the inscription "A Garibaldi / la sua citta natale" in uppercase. On either side of the allegorical group are two bronze lions symbolizing Menotti and Ricciotti. Each lion rests on a cannon, with the dates 1860 and 1870. These dates refer respectively to the Expedition of the Thousand and to the battle of Dijon in the Franco-Prussian War. The rear of the pedestal includes a bronze bas-relief showing Nice among nations. The square base has prow shapes rising from the surrounding fountain, a reference to the Garibaldi family's maritime tradition. On the front side, two medallions represent Garibaldi's nephews Costante and Bruno. The coat of arms of Nice appears on every side of the monument.