The Charles-Félix Column is a commemorative column erected in Bonneville (Haute-Savoie), France1, in honor of Charles-Félix of Savoy, on the occasion of his work to dam the Arve Until the 19th century, the Arve regularly caused significant damage during its floods, flooding fields, villages and towns in the Arve Valley. During his visit to the region, King Charles-Félix of Savoy decided to grant a subsidy of 60,000 pounds to carry out damming work to protect Bonneville and the middle Arve Valley2,3. On this occasion, a wooden column was erected in August 1824 by the inhabitants of the valley in thanks for this work. It was replaced two years later by the current column and inaugurated in July 18264. The building was listed as a historical monument in 1942 The column, 21.44 m high, rests on a pedestal and is topped by a statue. The column is supposed to highlight the traditional functions of the sovereign2. It is haughty and kept at a distance because of its height but also enhances the paternalistic role of the sovereign by being built near the dikes. The 3 m high statue depicts the "beloved Charles-Félix". It is made of Carrara marble by the Cacciatori brothers, who were behind the restoration of the Hautecombe Abbey The column and the statue rest on a pedestal decorated with a bas-relief. The latter represents the goddess Arve personified in the form of a nymph chained and dressed in the antique style, half-lying in the reeds2. The other sides bear Latin inscriptions explaining its purpose:
"Arvam agros effuse vastantem Rex Karolus Felix descripto alveo oppositis aggeribus corecuit. Anno MDCCCXXIIII [...]"
which translates to:
The Arve, with its floods, devastated the countryside. King Charles Felix contained it in a dammed bed, in the year 1824. [...]4
The original bas-relief is preserved and exhibited at the Bonneville town hall2. It was replaced by a copy made in blue marble by Béatrice Sassone Bouvet in 2012
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