Monument des Sauveteurs
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Monument des Sauveteurs
Quai Auguste Delpierre - 62100 CALAIS
Courgain Maritime is the fishing port of Calais. It is also the heartland of seafarers and the maritime heritage of Calais. In the square stands a monument dedicated to the Calais sea rescuers. One stormy evening in October 1791, a ship was in distress off the coast of Calais. Local residents rushed to its aid and saved many lives. Tragically, Louis Gavet and François Maréchal perished during the rescue. The community was deeply moved, and shortly afterward, a first monument was erected along the former ramparts. The ramparts were demolished in 1895. The monument was too damaged to be moved. The decision was made to destroy it and build the current monument. The sculptor Edouard Lormier created this Monument to the Lifesavers, inaugurated in 1899. In the artist's words, this bronze statue is "a personification of devotion, calm, and serenity in the face of the elements." The figure is a robust, bearded sailor, impassive, firmly planted with his foot on a rock. Several inscriptions are reproduced on the pedestal. The front features elements from the original monument. On the sides are the names of five people who died in the line of duty, as well as the names of the lifeboat's captains and pilots. Calais has had a lifeboat station for two centuries, now operated by the SNSM (French National Sea Rescue Society). Lifesavers, and more broadly those lost at sea, are honored during traditional celebrations (Ascension Thursday and August 15th). Historical anecdote: The bronze sailor does not represent Louis Gavet or François Maréchal…it is the 2nd monument erected in 1899 on an event dating from 1791! The sculptor Edouard Lormier convinced Mr. Lachaire, a former fisherman from the district, to pose for posterity.
