L'Obelisque d'Ivry

Did you know that Henri IV fought here on March 14, 1590 at the Battle of Ivry? The obelisk bears witness to this epoch-making event in French history.
The obelisk stands at the foot of the pear tree where the "Vert Galant" fell asleep after winning the battle.
It was Napoleon Bonaparte, visiting the battle site in 1802, who ordered the rebuilding of the monument known locally as the pyramid. On October 24, 1804, the foundation stone for today's obelisk was laid.
After a speech by the Prefect of Eure, and in the presence of the mayors of the neighboring communes, a box filled with coal powder was placed in the foundations, containing a copper plaque depicting the destruction of the original monument and its restoration.
To this day, the monument stands proud, surrounded by rows of majestic trees: 25 lime trees in the circular section and 52 in equal numbers on either side of the driveway leading to the monument. The obelisk was not spared by the violent storm of December 26, 1999, when it collapsed. It was restored and raised in 2000.