Start of operation Moyen Âge (≈ 1125)
Career used since this period.
1914-1918
Military occupation
Military occupation 1914-1918 (≈ 1916)
Shelter and chapels created by soldiers.
février 1917
Original Date
Original Date février 1917 (≈ 1917)
Small ogival altar marked.
4 novembre 1997
Registration MH
Registration MH 4 novembre 1997 (≈ 1997)
Partial site protection.
20 novembre 1998
MH classification
MH classification 20 novembre 1998 (≈ 1998)
Protection of chapels and engravings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Career, with the exception of the classified parts (Box ZE 82): inscription by order of 4 November 1997 - Chapel of the 1st Territorial Battalion of Chasseurs-Alpins; altar of the 2nd Battalion of the 67th R.I.T.; altar in warhead with a star of David; hunting horn with palm of the 45th Fighters' Battalion at Foot (Box ZE 82): classification by order of 20 November 1998
Key figures
Soldats du 45e B.C.P. - Alpine hunters
Authors of the main chapel.
Soldats du 67e R.I.T. - Infantry Regiment
Creators of a second chapel.
Origin and history
The Berry quarry, located in the commune of Saint-Christophe-à-Berry (département de l'Aisne, region Hauts-de-France), is a site operated since medieval times. His history was marked by his military occupation during the First World War, from 1914 to 1918, where he served as a shelter and improvised place of worship for French soldiers, including alpine hunters. The latter left emblematic remains, such as chapels dug in the rock, testifying to their presence and faith in the midst of war.
Among the most remarkable elements are a chapel designed by the 45th Battalion of Foot Hunters (B.C.P.), identifiable with its altar carved in the wall, adorned with a tabernacle, a ciborium, palm trees and representations of soldiers in prayer. An engraved coat of arms, representing a hunting horn (mark of the battalion), laurels dated 1914-1915 and the names of nearby localities, reinforces the memorial character of the place. A second chapel, attributed to the 67th Regiment of Territorial Infantry (R.I.T.), as well as a small warhead altar bearing a five-point star and an inscription dated February 1917, complete this historic ensemble.
Berry's career was recognized for its heritage value linked to the Great War: it was listed as a historical monument in 1997, and in 1998 was classified for its most symbolic elements, such as chapels and engravings. These protections underscore its importance as a material testimony to the living conditions of soldiers and their spiritual resilience during the conflict. The site remains a major memory site in the department of Aisne, rich in military memorials.
Prior to its military use, the quarry was a site of extraction, probably of stone or building materials, since the Middle Ages. This dual vocation — economic and then historical — makes it an atypical monument, where local industrial history and the national history of the First World War intersect. Today, its access and visit depend on local arrangements, but its status as a listed monument guarantees its preservation for future generations.
