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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Colombier-le-Jeune, located in the department of Ardèche, is an unusual achievement for a municipality of 800 inhabitants in 1911. Unlike many other communes, his erection was not initiated by the mayor, but by the arrival of a new parish priest, Abbé Peyrache, in 1931. The latter initiated the project, which was not completed until 1935, thanks to a donation of land by an individual. The monument, located at the crossroads of roads D238 and D209, is distinguished by its composition: a stele surrounded by a cement wall, an entrance gate, and plant elements such as the ivy. A notable feature is the presence of a representation of Joan of Arc, canonized in 1920, brandishing a sword, which partially contradicts the prohibition of religious signs on monuments to the dead of the time.

The monument, carved by Gaston Dintrat, incorporates several strong symbols. A relief illustrates Joan of Arc as a warrior, framed by a U-shaped inscription bearing the names of the dead of the commune. A double bas-relief contrasts two scenes: on the one hand, life in the trenches during the war, with soldiers in action and a wounded evacuated; on the other, a harvest scene representing a family (grandparents, father and children, without the mother), evoking life in the back. The word Pax is inscribed in a sun, while a church surmounted by a statue of the Virgin appears in the background. These elements reflect a desire to reconcile patriotic memory, religious faith and civil life, in a context in which local newspapers, the only evidence of intentions, underline the originality of the work.

The inscription of the monument to the dead, including its fence elements and gardeners, as a historic monument by order of March 13, 2019, attests to its heritage value. Although the exact location is considered mediocre (note 5/10), its approximate address is identified as 20 Route from Lamastre to Colombier-le-Jeune. The monument, owned by the commune, remains an artistic and historical testimony of how a small town paid homage to its dead, mixing national, religious and local symbols, under the impetus of actors such as Abbé Peyrache and the sculptor Dintrat.

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