se-balader-oeuvres-dart-valenciennes — ©Mail Watteau Valenciennes |Claude Waghemacker

A stroll through the statues in an open-air museum

With almost 85 statues to be seen in the open air, turning the streets, the works of art… Valenciennes is a city that will surprise you! Did you know that it’s one of the few cities in France to have so many sculptures per km2? Considered a veritable open-air museum, Valenciennes invites you to wander and contemplate its artistic treasures, day and night…

Valenciennes ville d'artistes - ( Child of What to do?)

The Green Lung 1. Parc de la Rhônelle

The Rhônelle garden is one of the most rejuvenating places on the outskirts of the city. This haven of peace in the heart of Valenciennes offers, among other things, the spectacle of its waterfall and the impression of being in the middle of a Watteau painting…

Numerous sculptures in bronze or stone, all of which are easy to discover in their entirety, adorn Henri Martinet’s 5-hectare English garden:

The sensuality of La faunesse, by Vendémiaire Pavot, whose patina matches that of the verdigris trunks.

Cain Jealous, by Paul Theusissen, sinks into a dream, shared by the Orphan, by Alphonse Terroir, on his rock of solitude…

Le joueur de billes, by Élie Raset, still bears the fine sensitivity with which the sculptor saw it, while Le charpentier, by René André Duparcq, proudly dominates the garden, leaning firmly on his piece of wood.

This park is also very popular with photographers for seasonal shoots and family events, as well as with joggers! Children can also enjoy the peace and quiet of the dedicated playground.

The young girl in the Rhônelle park in Valenciennes — ©La Faunesse statue Parc de la Rhônelle Valenciennes|T. Douvry Ville de Valenciennes

Did you know?

Parc de la Rhônelle, embedded in the urban fabric, is the only large-scale green space in Valenciennes town center. Its location means that the park is very popular both day and night. A study to renovate the park’s public lighting was carried out in 2012, proposing interactive lighting from dusk until 1am, respecting the ecosystem of flora and fauna on the site.

The aisle of contemplation 2. Le mail Watteau

Go all the way along Boulevard Watteau. It invites you to follow it. New sculptures in town, easy to discover as you stroll along the tree-lined pedestrian path… An invitation and a great connection to make between Valenciennes’ 2 parks. Take the time to sit down on one of the benches provided to contemplate these new works at your leisure…

Six sculptures adorn the Mail Watteau. Six works from the reserves of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes. All are stunning in their purity, grace and expressiveness.

Among them are : La première offrande d’Abel by sculptor Léon Fagel. This is a first for this talented Valenciennes sculptor, who has never before been represented in the public domain. Truly inspired by the biblical theme of Adam and Eve’s son, the artist shares the physical exertion of the young shepherd yet serenely offers the struggling lamb to God.

The graceful Seated Girl is a resin reproduction of a plaster cast donated to the museum around 1956 by the wife of sculptor Félix Desruelles. In Valenciennes, he was responsible for the Carpeaux monument (1910), the Rieur, and the stele dedicated to schoolteacher Legrand (1928).

Lucien Brasseur’sLa force de l’Ouvrier complements L’Inspiration lyrique and La Pensée, two gilded sculptures by the same artist that already adorned the museum’s entrance.

A reproduction of the monumental marble sculpture of Saint-Christophe attributed to sculptor and architect Pierre Schleiff. Saint-Christophe protects motorists and pedestrians, because according to popular belief, having seen an image of the Saint is enough to be safe all day from sudden death. The sculpture, the only remaining testimony to the artist’s talent, stood until 1979 in the church of the Jesuit College, now the Saint-Nicolas auditorium.

statue boulevard watteau valenciennes — ©Statue mail Watteau Valenciennes|Claude Waeghemacker

The garden museum 3. Rôme Prize Park

The Parc des Prix de Rome reveals its talents for a change of scenery… Follow the works of art with your eyes and soak up the serenity. Take the time to think of nothing but yourself.

It’s one of Valenciennes’ new lungs of greenery and culture. We invite you to discover this new 16,000 m2 garden-museum.

An extension of the historic Floralies garden, it pays tribute to the many Prix de Rome winners from Valenciennes. This visit, combining culture and nature, will enable you to retrace the formation and evolution of the Prix de Rome competition over more than four centuries!
The various artistic disciplines will be revealed through the discovery of sculptures, engravings and paintings.

Today, the park has become a venue for events and festive gatherings such as Picnic Thursdays (all summer), dance classes, open-air concerts…

Statue in the Prix de Rome park in Valenciennes — ©Bust by Prix de Rôme Valenciennes|T.Douvry Ville de Valenciennes

Light sculptors 4. Night-time routes

The ” Sculptors of Light ” sound trail is an audio-guided storytelling tour. It allows you to discover the wealth and abundance of sculptures in Valenciennes town center.

Follow in the footsteps of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux as you meet the sculptors and learn their secrets…

A must-do during the day, but also at dusk to enjoy the projection of the sculptures on the gables and facades.