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Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, now part of the municipality of Valserhône (Ain), was inaugurated on 3 June 1923 in Carnot Square. It commemorates the soldiers of the former communes of Bellegarde and Coupy who fell during the First World War. The names of the dead of Bellegarde appear on the front, left and right sides of the base, while those of Couy (with the exception of the hamlet of Vanchy, with its own monument since 1921) are engraved at the back. The monument was listed for historical monuments on March 13, 2019.

Designed by architect Lucien Sallez and sculptor Jules Déchin, the memorial is distinguished by an allegorical composition: a hairy in combat, protected by a winged Victoire holding an olive branch, symbol of peace. The base, decorated with attributes of work (anvil, gear, hive) and military trophies (casque, gourde), illustrates both mourning and hope for reconstruction. The bronzes, melted by Durenne establishments, and the surrounding metal elements (realized by the Marion workshop) were preserved in their original state.

Although Jules Déchin is known for his monuments to the dead in series, that of Bellegarde-sur-Valserine is considered an original work in his corpus, according to the archives of the fondeur Durenne. The Victoire, originally conceived without wings in the models, embodies a twofold symbolism: that of Peace (via the caducée, emblem of trade) and collective resilience. The municipal archives retain preparatory drawings showing the monument integrated into an urban landscape, highlighting its central role in local memory.

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