The Burghers of Calais, Calais

One of the most famous sculptures by Auguste Rodin, The Burghers of Calais serves as a monument to an event in 1347 during the Hundred Years' War, when Calais, an important French port on the English Channel, was under siege by the English. Edward III offered to spare the people of the city if its top leaders would surrender themselves to him. One of the wealthiest, Eustache de Saint Pierre, volunteered first, and five others joined him. It was this moment, and this poignant mix of defeat and heroic self-sacrifice, that Rodin captured in his sculpture, scaled somewhat larger than life. The burghers expected to be executed, but their lives were spared by the intervention of England's queen. By using our Calais driving holiday planner, you can arrange your visit to The Burghers of Calais and other attractions in Calais.