Statue of Calvin (Place Saint-Pierre-Empont)

There are only five statues of John Calvin in the world.
Engraving by W. Forbes-Leith, 1915. The main hall of the medieval University of Orléans, the thesis hall, the only remaining part of the old university. © Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

There are only five statues of John Calvin in the world.

Engraving by W. Forbes-Leith, 1915. Great hall of the medieval University of Orléans, the thesis hall, the sole surviving element of the former university. © Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

It was in 2009, on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of Calvin’s birth, that this lost-wax bronze statue, created by the Orléans sculptor Daniel Leclercq, was erected facing the Protestant church.

It depicts Calvin as a young student and serves as a reminder that he forms an integral part of the city’s history, having studied at the internationally renowned Faculty of Law of Orléans, then the only institution teaching civil law.

Associated notes

Jean Calvin (1509-1564)

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Le Siège d'Orléans, février 1563

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