Inauguration of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours plaque in Chevannes (Loiret) – Route des Illustres
On September 21, 2024, Chevannes (Loiret) unveiled a plaque in honor of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours, an economist of the Enlightenment, during the European Heritage Days (calameo.com). This event was part of the Route des Illustres du Loiret, a tourist route launched by Tourisme Loiret to highlight the great personalities associated with the department (magcentre.fr, loiret.fr).
A local tribute to an illustrious figure of the Enlightenment
The ceremony brought together many local and regional personalities. It took place in the presence of Thomas Ménagé, deputy for the 4th constituency of the Loiret, representatives of the Loiret Departmental Council – notably the Vice-President Corinne Melzassard, elected representative of the canton of Courtenay – as well as members of the Route des Illustres du Loiret team (calameo.com). Also present were the mayor of Chevannes and local elected representatives, demonstrating the importance attached to promoting the local heritage. All emphasized how proud they were to see Chevannes honor one of its most famous former residents.
Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817) is indeed a prominent figure in local and national history. A philosopher and economist close to the physiocrats, a collaborator of Turgot and then a deputy to the Estates General of 1789, he was a forerunner of economic liberalism ( tourismeloiret.com). He settled in Chevannes in 1774 when he bought the château du Bois-des-Fossés there – not far from the property of his friend Mirabeau – and lived there for part of his life (tourismeloiret.com). His first wife, Marie-Louise Le Dée, is also buried in the cemetery next to the church of Saint-Sulpice de Chevannes (tourismeloiret.com), demonstrating the family’s attachment to the village.
An official ceremony full of memories
During the inauguration, the speakers retraced the exceptional life of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours. They recalled that, true to his liberal convictions, du Pont de Nemours survived the turmoil of the Revolution – narrowly escaping the Terror – before going into exile in the United States in 1800 (tourismeloiret.com). There, he became an advisor to President Thomas Jefferson and contributed to Franco-American diplomatic rapprochement, being at the origin of the negotiation for the purchase of Louisiana in 1803 (tourismeloiret.com). His son Éleuthère Irénée du Pont later founded the world’s first chemical company (the future du Pont de Nemours Inc.), illustrating the lasting influence of this Franco-American family. Local history even recalls that the descendants of Pierre Samuel have not forgotten Chevannes: in 1930, they financed the renovation of the village church of Saint-Sulpice (tourismeloiret.com) – a meaningful gesture of remembrance, now embodied by the commemorative plaque.
Several speeches praised Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours’ dual affiliation with the history of France and the United States, and his roots in the Gâtinais region of the Loiret. “There is wealth in all the municipalities of the Loiret, even the very small ones. The Route des Illustres reveals them,” commented Marc Gaudet, president of the Department of Loiret (loiret.fr), on this occasion, emphasizing the importance of such tributes in helping residents (re)discover their local heritage. MP Thomas Ménagé emphasized the pride of seeing Chevannes contribute to the transmission of the heritage of the Enlightenment, recalling that the life and work of du Pont de Nemours constitute “a bridge between the Loiret and America” – from the Gâtinais to the banks of the Delaware.
The Route des Illustres of the Loiret, a memorial trail
The inauguration of Chevannes is part of a broader movement: that of the Route des Illustres du Loiret, a route launched in 2023 and sponsored by the writer and actor Lorànt Deutsch (loiret.fr). This thematic route aims to showcase 200 prominent figures who were born, lived or stayed in the Loiret (loiret.fr). By means of explanatory plaques installed in the communes concerned, panels and dedicated circuits, the public is invited to criss-cross the department in the footsteps of these personalities.
Chevannes, with Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours, is one of the stops on this heritage tour, as are other Montargois communes that also unveiled their plaques on September 21, 2024 – for example Le Bignon-Mirabeau (home of the Mirabeau family) or Mérinville, neighboring villages involved in the same initiative (calameo.com). On the same day, on the other side of the Loiret, the commune of Donnery inaugurated two plaques in memory of the aviator Adrienne Bolland and the novelist Ponson du Terrail (magcentre.fr), proof that there is a general mobilization throughout the department to make its “Illustrious” known.
A lasting legacy for future generations
The Mag’Centre article devoted to these inaugurations emphasizes that the Loiret “continues its efforts to make its celebrities known” through the Route des Illustres (magcentre.fr). The unveiling of the plaque in Chevannes thus perpetuates the memory of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours in the very place where he lived. For residents and visitors alike, it is an opportunity to learn more about this man whose destiny links local history to the wider history of the transatlantic.
With this new commemorative plaque, Chevannes enriches its visible heritage with an additional historical landmark. The village, already proud of its restored 15th-century church and the tomb of the wife of the Pont de Nemours, now has an information point dedicated to this illustrious figure. There is no doubt that this initiative will contribute to the transmission of memory and the cultural influence of Chevannes, while forming part of a more global tourism strategy promoted by the department. The inauguration on September 21, 2024 will be a highlight in the promotion of the Loire heritage, celebrating the memory of a man who was at once a figure of the Enlightenment, a witness to the Revolution and a pioneer of Franco-American ties (tourismeloiret.com).
Sources: La République du Centre, Chevannes Town Hall, Loiret Departmental Council, Mag’Centre. All the information provided above comes from reliable local sources and official interventions, without extrapolation or distortion of the facts. Historical quotes and data have been verified to provide accurate and informative content.