Marianne

The origin of the first name

The Marianne first name seems to come from the contraction of Marie and Anne, two very widespread first names at the 18th century among the female population catholic of the Kingdom of France, and carried by several queens, of which Marie de Médicis, Anne of Austria, Marie-Antoinette.

The use of the Marianne first name as symbol of the Republic was allotted to a revolutionary song in Occitan, the Garisou de Marianno (in French, Cure of Marianne ) of Guillaume Lavabre. Although this song is already mentioned in the treasure of Felibrige of Frederic Mistral, the association of the song to the symbol of the Republic was made only in 1976.

The first name of Marianne was, at the end of the XVIIIe century, very widespread in popular environments and in particular carried by the girls of the countryside who were useful like good in the middle-class houses. The song, telling the misadventures of the new mode, was probably written in October 1792, ten days only after the foundation of the Republic. It is about the first occurrence of the Marianne first name as a symbol of the Republic. Marianne represented there the revenge of the maidservants against the noble ones, of people of in bottom against those of in top. The author of the song, Guillaume Lavabre, was shoe-maker with Puylaurens. The village of Puylaurens asserts from now on the title of “cradle occitan of Marianne republican”.

For the Aristocrat S Counter-revolutionary S, this first name was regarded as pejorative, since it represented the people. The revolutionists adopted it to symbolize the regime change, but especially it proposed the symbolic system of the “motherland”, of the feeder mother who protects the children from the Republic. The republicans of the South also contributed to associate this first name with their political ideal (taking again the song in Occitan, “the garisou of Marianno” is very popular with the autumn 1792). The use of this first name as symbol would thus have been born from a consensus between the partisans and the adversaries from the republic, then quickly accepted by all French people.

Rumors would indicate that the first model was of an young girl of Sigolsheim in Alsace prénommant Marie-Anne.

Its history through the centuries

The Republic was already represented under female features, a rudder and a bag of corn to half reversed with its feet. That especially represented the fact that it was not very concerned of power, alarming of the aspirations of the people. There are several versions carrying of the symbols maconic.

Symbols of Marianne

The symbols of Marianne are often borrowed from Antiquity gréco-Roman or the Franc-Maçonnerie:

Representations of Marianne

The first representations of a woman with Phrygian cap, allegory of Freedom and Republic, appear under the French revolution. They differ according to the times and the concerns from French people, and systematically do not carry the totality of the symbols.

Today, it is also reproduced on objects of very broad diffusion like the coins or the Timbres-poste.

Busts of the Republic

Marianne can be carved in foot or bust. It starts to appear in the town halls after 1877, by replacing the busts of Napoleon III.

Under the Third Republic, the statues and especially the busts of Marianne multiply, in particular in the town halls. Several types of representation develop, according to whether one privileges the revolutionary character or the “wise” character of Marianne: the Phrygian cap sometimes is considered to be too seditious and is replaced by a diadem or a crown (statue with ears). The latter represents a moderated Republic, the first a revolutionary Republic, the republican of the people names it Marianne.On thinks that the name Marianne and a contraction of both first name Marie and Anne, who are two very widespread first names in France.

At the twentieth century, all the town halls gradually obtain a bust of Marianne which wears from now on the Phrygian cap systematically and appears removed from its other attributes (beam of weapons, level or balances). Marianne is represented in a very purified way. The last representations, more sails about it in the town halls today, are those taking again the famous features of women ( to see the following paragraph on the model of Marianne ).

Allegorical statues inspired of Marianne

The Statue of freedom, monumental allegory entitled “freedom illuminant the world”, offered by France to the United States of America represents what these two République S from which the constitutions result from the Lights have in common: enlightened and lighting freedom; Alma MATER of the conscience citizen which is not other than Marianne.

In the same way, the statue in the center of the Place of the Republic to Paris has, in fact, a first name.

Representations of very broad diffusion

Postage stamps

Coins

Marianne is represented on various coins: centimes of frankly (yellow pieces), then centimes of Euro S, as well as the parts in Frankly peaceful.

Communication of the government

In 1999, the French government adopted a Logotype, which represents the profile of Marianne drawn in white on a blue and red bottom, thus appearing the Tricolor, accompanied by the currency Freedom - Equality - Fraternity and of the mention French Republic . It is used by the government institutions (ministries, secretariats of State, etc) and by the Préfecture decentralized S, services of the State in the departments and the areas.

See the image above: Marianne of the French administration.

Nonofficial representations

In margin of the official representations, free representations multiply; the caricaturists seize Marianne like image symbolizing the nation.

Models of Marianne

The models having been used for the representations of Marianne many and are varied.

The artists having carried out the busts of Marianne used for model:

their partner;
a model, an unknown beautiful woman;
of the local models;
of the personalities.

Famous women lent their features to Marianne to carve the busts of the Republic:

Since the release of the France in 1944, these women were only famous actresses, but in 2000, the mediatized choice of the Marianne news by the Association of the mayors of France (MFA) was posed on Laetitia Casta, a mannequin particularly appreciated of the French, and in 2003, it was the turn of Evelyne Thomas, stimulating of a popular television program. These choices prone to controversies, more especially as they would actually come from a private entity not having a relationship with the MFA, are named besides “Committee of gold Marianne” ( to see the external bond on the Letter of a Mayor, below ).

Charter Marianne (introduction of the step quality into the services of the State)

In January 2005, each administrative service of the accommodating State of the public posts a charter of quality of the reception and places at the disposal of the users the folders presenting its engagements.

See too

Jacques Faizant, of which the caricatures often represent Marianne like main character, accompanying the president by the republic in exercise.

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