Les Bourgeois de Calais (The Burghers of Calais), Calais (must see)

"The Burghers of Calais," one of Auguste Rodin's most celebrated sculptures, stands as a powerful tribute to a dramatic episode from the Hundred Years' War. Completed in 1889, this monumental work immortalizes a moment of profound courage and sacrifice during the 1347 siege of Calais by English forces. The sculpture captures the intense emotional gravity of the event when the city, after enduring a grueling blockade, faced surrender.

The story behind the sculpture is a poignant one. Following his victory at the Battle of Crécy, King Edward III of England besieged Calais, a strategic port on the English Channel. Despite the French king Philip VI's orders to hold out, the city's condition deteriorated under the prolonged siege, leading to starvation and a desperate need for surrender. Edward demanded that six of Calais' leading citizens voluntarily offer themselves for execution in exchange for the city's survival. These men, including Eustache de Saint Pierre, agreed to this harrowing fate. They donned nooses and carried the city's keys as symbols of their submission.

Rodin's sculpture portrays these six men in a larger-than-life scale, emphasizing their physical and emotional exhaustion. Each figure is rendered with expressive detail, reflecting their individual resolve and the collective sense of heroic sacrifice. Their almost nude forms and solemn expressions vividly convey the tension between their imminent death and their unwavering commitment to their city.

Interestingly, the historical account diverges from the sculpture's grim expectation. The burghers' lives were spared thanks to the intervention of Queen Philippa of Hainault, who persuaded her husband to show mercy. She argued that their execution would bring bad luck to her unborn child. Thus, the sculpture not only celebrates a moment of profound self-sacrifice but also highlights an unexpected twist in history that saved the lives of these brave men.