Square Léon Blum (Place du 4-Septembre)

The Monument to the Mobiles, located in Square Léon Blum (formerly Place du 4-Septembre), is one of Marseille’s significant commemorative monuments. Erected at the end of the 19th century, it honors the soldiers of the National Guard Mobile Corps of the Bouches-du-Rhône who died for France during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871.

After France’s defeat in 1871, many cities erected monuments in memory of the “Mobiles” — young soldiers from the National Guard called up to defend their homeland. In Marseille, the idea of a commemorative monument emerged in 1873, and the work was finally inaugurated in 1894, following years of fundraising and debate over its location.

The monument symbolizes the courage and sacrifice of Marseille’s fallen soldiers and reflects the patriotic fervor of the emerging Third Republic.

Architectural Description

The monument, designed by architect Louis Puget and sculptor André Allar, consists of a tall stone pedestal topped by an allegorical bronze group.

At the summit, a winged female figure representing Victorious France brandishes a sword and crowns the fallen heroes with laurel wreaths.

At the base, several figures depict the “Mobiles” of the Bouches-du-Rhône, dressed in uniform and holding rifles and flags.

Bas-reliefs adorn the pedestal, illustrating battle scenes and Republican symbols such as the Gallic rooster and the civic crown.

This monumental and expressive work embodies the Republican and patriotic ideals characteristic of late 19th-century public sculpture.

Square Léon Blum (Place du 4-Septembre)

Located at the upper end of La Canebière, opposite the Église des Réformés, Square Léon Blum was formerly known as Place du 4-Septembre, commemorating the proclamation of the French Third Republic on September 4, 1870.

It was later renamed in honor of Léon Blum, the French prime minister who led the Popular Front in 1936. Despite the change in name, the square has retained its symbolic civic importance.

Today, it features the 1911 music kiosk, the Monument to the Dead of 1870, and modern landscaping added during recent redevelopment work linked to the nearby Artplexe cinema.

A place of history and remembrance, Square Léon Blum remains a site where Marseille’s political and cultural heritage come together.

Each year, commemorative ceremonies are held there — notably on November 11 and during anniversaries linked to the War of 1870.