Colonne Vendôme

In 1806, at the behest of Napoleon, construction of a column commenced, and it was ultimately completed in 1810. Inspired by Trajan's Column, its purpose was to commemorate the triumph at Austerlitz. The column's surface boasted 425 spiral bas-relief bronze plates, crafted from captured cannons belonging to the combined European armies, as part of Napoleon's propaganda (though the commonly cited number of 180 cannons is greatly exaggerated). The gifted sculptor Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret designed these plates, which were brought to life by a team of approximately 30 skilled sculptors, including Jean-Joseph Foucou, Louis-Simon Boizot, François Joseph Bosio, Lorenzo Bartolini, Claude Ramey, François Rude, Corbet, Clodion, Julie Charpentier, and Henri-Joseph Ruxthiel. Perched atop the column was a statue of Napoleon, created by Antoine-Denis Chaudet. The figure portrayed Napoleon donning Roman attire, bare-headed, adorned with laurels, holding a sword in his right hand, and cradling a globe surmounted with a statue of Victory in his left hand, reminiscent of Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker.

In 1816, during the period of Allied occupation, a group of individuals attempted to remove the statue of Napoleon from its column using a cable tied around its neck. However, the statue stood steadfast, refusing to budge. One wit among the crowd remarked, "If the Emperor is as firmly seated on his throne as this statue is on its column, he's far from being dethroned." After the Bourbon Restoration, the statue, though not the column itself, was brought down and melted to provide bronze for recasting the equestrian statue of Henry IV on the Pont Neuf. Similar bronze was sourced from sculptures on the Column of the Grande Armée at Boulogne-sur-Mer. Nonetheless, a statuette of Victory can still be observed in the salon Napoléon of the Hôtel des Monnaies, where a model of the column and a likeness of Napoleon's face, copied from his death mask, are also displayed. Subsequently, a replacement statue of Napoléon, depicting him in modern attire, including a bicorn hat, boots, and a redingote, was erected during the reign of Louis-Philippe. Later, under Louis-Napoléon (Napoléon III), a more dignified and classically inspired statue of Napoleon took its place.

Irrespective of one's political views on Karl Marx's theory, it is undeniable that he foresaw the fall of the Vendome column well before it actually occurred. This prediction was made in his political pamphlet "Le 18 Brumaire de Louis Bonaparte" in 1852. The pamphlet strongly criticized Napoleon III and concluded with the prophetic words: "But if the Imperial mantle finally falls on the shoulders of Louis Bonaparte, the bronze statue of Napoleon will fall from the height of the Vendome column."

The events leading up to the establishment of the Paris Commune in 1871 saw disturbances outside the National Guard on March 22nd. Demonstrators, carrying banners proclaiming themselves as "Friends of Peace," were prevented from entering Place Vendome by guardsmen. A clash ensued, resulting in the guardsmen opening fire on the crowd, leading to the death of at least 12 people and numerous injuries.

During the Paris Commune, Gustave Courbet, the painter and president of the Federation of Artists, who was also an elected member of the Commune, expressed his disapproval of the Vendome column being situated on Rue de la Paix. He proposed dismantling the column and preserving it at the Hôtel des Invalides, arguing that it lacked artistic value and symbolized the war and conquest ideals of the previous imperial dynasty, which went against the sentiments of a republican nation.

Although Courbet's proposal was not adopted, on April 12, 1871, legislation was passed authorizing the dismantling of the symbol of the imperial regime. On May 16, the column was taken down, with its bronze plates preserved. As the statue was lowered using ropes and the work of quarry workers, witnesses saw it collapse onto a prepared heap of sand with a loud crash. The column disintegrated almost instantly, leaving behind a massive pile of debris. A cloud of dust and smoke from the shattered stones and clay rose up, and in the midst of the chaos, a crowd of people, including National Guards, Communards, and an English observer, rushed towards the fallen monument, collecting fragments as souvenirs. The scene was described as surreal, with people moving about as if in a dream due to the overwhelming excitement.

In the aftermath of the column's destruction, in a rejection of its perceived glorification of nationalism and aggression, Place Vendôme was renamed Place Internationale as a tribute to the Commune's emphasis on international brotherhood and solidarity.

After the Paris Commune was suppressed by Adolphe Thiers, a decision was taken to reconstruct the column and reinstate the statue of Napoléon at its pinnacle. Gustave Courbet, who played a role in the Commune, was sentenced to cover the expenses of rebuilding the monument, amounting to 323,000 francs, to be paid in annual installments of 10,000 francs. However, due to his inability to meet these payments, Courbet chose to go into voluntary exile in Switzerland. In a regrettable turn of events, the French government seized and sold the artist's paintings for a paltry sum, and Courbet passed away while still in exile in December 1877.

Meanwhile, in 1874, the column was re-erected at the heart of Place Vendôme, and a replica of the original statue was placed on top. Unfortunately, the inner staircase that used to allow public access to the top of the column is no longer open for visitors.