©Nohcab The History of the Burghers of Calais
130 years after its installation, the monument to the Burghers of Calais remains a major historical and artistic emblem of the city. The work of Auguste Rodin, inaugurated in June 1895, continues to fascinate visitors. This year, 2025, Calais celebrates this anniversary with the opening of a new gallery of the Museum of Fine Arts, dedicated to Rodin and the monument.
A heroic story at the heart of the Hundred Years' War
The history of the Burghers of Calais dates back to 1347, during the Hundred Years' War. Besieged for nearly a year by the troops of King Edward III of England, Calais finally capitulated. The king demanded the surrender of six notables, barefoot, dressed in their simple shirts and with ropes around their necks, to hand over the keys to the city. These men, including Eustace de Saint-Pierre, accepted this sacrifice. They were eventually pardoned thanks to the intervention of Queen Philippa of Hainaut.
Even today, the Monument to the Burghers, at the foot of the Calais belfry, embodies this significant episode in French medieval history. but also the universal values of courage, sacrifice and solidarity.
©Nohcab The Monument to the Burghers of Calais
A masterpiece by Rodin
Long celebrated in literature and painting, this tragic episode was immortalized in stone in the 1884th century, thanks to the commitment of Mayor Omer Dewavrin. After a series of funding failures, Auguste Rodin was chosen in 1889 to create the monument. Despite artistic disagreements with the local committee and financial difficulties, Rodin imposed his modern vision: six life-size, individualized figures, without a classical pedestal, expressing pain, courage, and dignity. The work, cast in bronze in 24, was installed at the entrance to Richelieu Park in Calais on May 1895, XNUMX (today, the Monument to the Dead of the Two World Wars is located there).
The Monument to the Burghers of Calais
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab The inaugural festivities, 130 years ago
The inauguration celebrations, held on June 1, 2, and 3, 1895, were a major event, bringing together approximately 20 people. They aimed to pay tribute to these figures of local patriotism and to inscribe this heroic act in the national memory.
Saturday June 1, 1895 The festivities begin with a conference on the siege of Calais, followed by a torchlight procession and a parade.
Sunday June 2 1895 An international gymnastics competition attracts more than 1 participants. The day continues with a painting exhibition, a cycle race between Lille and Calais, a parade of sports and musical societies, open-air concerts, a performance of André Messager's operetta Les Bourgeois de Calais, and ends with a public ball in the Richelieu Gardens.
Lundi 3 June 1895 It's the big day of the monument's official inauguration. The unveiling is marked by the takeoff of an airship, the Ville de Calais. A renowned singer, Éléonore Blanc, performs a Hymn to the Burghers of Calais in front of the guests gathered at the town hall. The day ends with a majestic fireworks display.
All about the inauguration
©Archives of the Museum of Fine Arts The largest repository of works from the Rodin Museum in France
In 2025, to mark the monument's 130th anniversary, the Calais Museum of Fine Arts will inaugurate a new gallery dedicated to Rodin and the history of the monument's creation. The exhibition will showcase sketches, models, and archives, and provide a better understanding of the work's artistic and symbolic ambition.
Get inspired at the Calais Museum of Fine Arts
©Charles Delcourt