Numerous bronze statues were erected at the beginning of the 20th century, many of them to adorn war memorials on the squares of French cities. A large quantity of religious and animals statues was also created. The luxury of their details makes them genuine masterpieces, and the figures are often represented with significant realism. The statues are first created in clay, then molded in a mixture of sand and resin. A thousand chefs modèles (models chefs), the first plaster prints to be molded, found refuge in the center of Sommevoire village thanks to the Companions of Saint-Peter, an association of passionates.