The residents of Hontanx (Landes) woke up to an unpleasant surprise on Friday November 22, 2023. The statue of the Virgin Mary, located at the exit of the town opposite the cemetery, has disappeared. The first residents thought that the town hall had taken it to give it a makeover. Except that’s not the case. The owner filed a complaint for theft.
Hontanx Town Hall
“They stole the Virgin from you”
“It’s nonsense. Why and how do you steal such a statue?”; says its owner Frédéric Blondeau. This representation of the Virgin Mary which faces the cemetery has been a family property since 1893. “Hikers informed the mayor that the statue was no longer there. He then called me saying: 'The Virgin has been stolen from you.' was no longer there. According to Frédéric Blondeau, this statue measures approximately one meter and fifty and weighs around one hundred kilograms. “I think it is a theft to then resell it but this statue has sentimental value in my eyes but also for the inhabitants of the town.”
Stupor and incomprehension
The mayor of Hontanx, Jean-Louis Dejean, also does not understand what could have motivated this act. “The first people who noticed this theft found the small front gate open. There are no marks on the grass all around. There are no inscriptions on the pedestal. We are in the dark.”, said the mayor, stunned by the situation. For this town of six hundred and twenty inhabitants, it is “the scoop of the year”smiles Jean-Louis Dejean.
A statue known to all
The inhabitants of Hontanx have always known this statue. Or at least since 1893, when it was installed. “No longer seeing her outside the town raises questions among all the residents”says the mayor. And no matter what happens, the statue will return to its place, whether it's the original Virgin Mary or a new statue. It is the will of its owner. If the original is not found by the gendarmerie investigation, Frédéric Blondeau and Jean-Louis Dejean are considering launching a fundraiser among residents to be able to buy a new statue.
