Monument des Sauveteurs

Le Courgain Maritime is the fishing port of Calais. It is also the stronghold of seafarers and the maritime memory of Calais. On the square, there is a Monument dedicated to the sea rescuers of Calais. 

One stormy evening in October 1791, a boat was lost in front of Calais. Local residents went to their aid and saved many lives. Unfortunately, Louis Gavet and François Maréchal disappeared during the rescue. There was great excitement in the neighborhood and shortly after, a first monument was erected along the ramparts of the time.

The demolition work on the ramparts took place in 1895. The monument could not be moved because it was in very poor condition. The decision was made to destroy it and build the current monument. 

It was the sculptor Edouard Lormier who created this Monument to the Rescuers, inaugurated in 1899. According to the artist, this bronze statue is “a personification of dedication, calm, serenity in the face of the elements.” The character is a solid, bearded sailor, impassive, firmly leaning his foot on a rock. Several inscriptions are repeated on the pedestal. On the front, the elements of the original monument are repeated. On the sides, we find the names of five people who were victims of their Duty and the names of the leaders and pilots of the lifeboat. Calais has had a lifeboat station for 2 centuries, nowadays managed by the SNSM (National Society for Sea Rescue).

Rescuers and, more broadly, those lost at sea are honoured during traditional festivals (Ascension Thursday and August 15).     

Historical anecdote: The bronze sailor does not represent Louis Gavet or François Maréchal…it is the 2nd monument erected in 1899 on a fact dating from 1791! The sculptor Edouard Lormier convinced Monsieur Lachaire, a former fisherman of the district, to pose for posterity.