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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The tomb of Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) is located in Mouchamps, Vendée, next to that of his father, Paul-Benjamin Clemenceau. These graves, which have been listed as historic monuments since July 1998, are located at Le Colombier, on a hillside overlooking the Petit Lay Valley, outside the communal cemetery. They are surrounded by a simple wrought iron gate, without slab or inscription, in accordance with the wills of Clemenceau, which required an anonymous and stripped grave. A stele in bas-relief, representing the victorious Minerva looking after Peace, the work of sculptor François Sicard, overlooks the two tombs. The site, given to the commune in 1922, was to remain unchanged, with the exception of minimal maintenance to avoid flooding by vegetation.

Georges Clemenceau, born in Mouleron-en-Pareds (Vendée), asked in his will to be buried without ceremony, alongside his father, doctor in Nantes. He was buried on 25 November 1929 in the presence of 200 gendarmes to spread the crowd, and his coffin was slightly inclined due to a rock or roots of an Atlas cedar planted in 1848 by his father. The legend of an burial standing to challenge the Church or look towards the Vosges is unfounded, but reflects his rebellious spirit. The site, including the tombs, the stele and the access road, was classified in 1998.

The tomb welcomed illustrious visitors, including Charles de Gaulle in 1946, who came to honour the promise made in 1941 via the BBC to announce the victory in Clemenceau. Other personalities such as François Mitterrand (1987) or Emmanuel Macron (2016 and 2018) are collected. In 2013, the stele was tagged before Manuel Valls' visit, recalling the symbolic charge of the place. The monument embodies the legacy of the Tiger, a major figure of the Third Republic, and its attachment to the Vendée, the land of its origins.

The Atlas cedar, planted in 1848 by Benjamin Clemenceau with the help of his 7-year-old son, marks the location of the tombs. The stele of Minerve, an allegory of victory and peace, was offered by the sculptor friend François Sicard. Clemenceau lived little in Colombia, preferring his fisherman's house in Saint-Vincent-sur-Jard, but chose this place for his burial, close to his father. The land, given to the commune in 1922, was to remain without additional monument, according to his last wishes.

Despite its simplicity, the site is a high place of national memory. The tombs, dug in a rocky escarpment, contrast with the tributes given by French and foreign political figures, such as Marshal Rommel in 1943. The inscription in the Historical Monuments in 1998 protects this modest but full of history, witness to the Republican convictions and the vendean heritage of Clemenceau.

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