Listed as a Historic Monument since March 25, 2016, this symbol of the city of Lyon and landmark for the Lyonnais has not been restored for 30 years. Diagnostic studies carried out in 2015 and 2019 by specialist restorers revealed a worrying state of deterioration, jeopardizing public safety and the perservation of the work over time.
The extensive restoration work required the complete removal of the horse and rider, which involved two spectacular and meticulous lifting operations, as well as the upper marble slab, after large blocks of marble had been cut on site to facilitate transport. In order to respond appropriately to the challenges of the project, and because the restoration of a monumental statue requires very specific skills, we have surrounded ourselves with companies perfectly experienced in this type of restoration.
A full year's work then began, during which the bronze statue was examined in minute detail in the wordshop set up at the foot of the plinth, before its long awaited return to the people of Lyon.