The statue of Vercingetorix

Close to the Gallo-Roman ruins, the colossal statue of Vercingétorix, standing 6.60 metres tall on a 7-metre plinth, carved from Saulieu granite and Pouillenay limestone and designed by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, is truly awe-inspiring!

Commissioned by Napoleon III to commemorate the success of the archaeological excavations undertaken at Alesia, this work, crafted from hammered and riveted copper sheet, has stood to the west of Mont Auxois in the commune of Alise-Sainte-Reine since 1865. The sculptor Aimé Millet depicts Vercingétorix as defeated, resigned yet proud, in an introspective pose. This stands in some contrast to the inscription on its plinth: ‘A united Gaul, forming a single nation, animated by a single spirit, can defy the universe – Napoleon III in memory of Vercingétorix’.

A contemporary analysis of this statue reveals numerous anachronisms and a depiction of the Gauls that is now contradicted by archaeological discoveries and a re-examination of ancient texts.

The statue is freely accessible all year round.