Gloria Victis

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Gloria victis A bronze sculpture created from a plaster model by Antonin Mercié (1845-1916) in 1872. The bronze was cast in 1874 by Thiébault and sons and was inaugurated on June 19, 1886. It stands at 2.20 meters tall, but with its base it reaches nearly six meters. The heel is lifted off the ground, only the tip of the foot barely touches the soil, as if in flight. A figure of glory or fame, she wears armor, wings, and takes a young soldier to new heights. The vanquished hero holds a broken sword, his battle lost. "Gloria Victis" means "Glory to the defeated," those who fell in the 1870 defeat (Napoleon's defeat at Sedan on September 1, 1870). The branch represents peace, while the owl symbolizes wisdom. There are several reproductions, including one in Paris at Square Montholon and another here in Bordeaux at Place Jean Moulin.