Equestrian statue of Hubert Lyautey explained

The Equestrian statue of Hubert Lyautey is a public sculpture that commemorates Hubert Lyautey, the first Resident-general of the French protectorate in Morocco, in Casablanca, Morocco.

History

The statue was created by French sculptor François Cogné^[1] and inaugurated on in front of the city's courthouse on Casablanca's main square, now Muhammad V Square. Sultan Mohammed V, Resident-general Charles Noguès, Lyautey's widow Inès de Bourgoing, French minister Guy La Chambre, and other notables attended the ceremony, at which French Academician Louis Gillet gave a florid speech.^[2]

A Moroccan stamp of 1946 pictures the statue.^[3]

In April 1959, the statue was relocated to the grounds of the nearby French consulate-general in Casablanca, where it remains visible from the square.^[4] In 2020, a petition requested the removal of the statue from public view, given its symbolism of Colonial oppression under the French protectorate regime.^[5]

See also

• Boufarik colonization monument

Notes

33.5902°N -7.6181°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Equestrian Statues . Kees van Tilburg . Louis Hubert Gonsalve Lyautey .
2. Web site: Académie française . Inauguration d’une statue élevée en l'honneur du maréchal Lyautey, à Casablanca, le 5 novembre 1938 : Discours de M. Louis Gillet, de l'Académie française.
3. Web site: Colnect . Stamp catalog : Stamp › Equestrian statue of Lyautey in Casablanca .
4. Web site: Le Monde . La statue du Maréchal Lyautey a été transférée dans le jardin du Consulat général de France à Casablanca. . A.F.P. .
5. Web site: bladi.net . . Une pétition pour retirer une statue "coloniale" du sol marocain .