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Monument to the dead à Salers dans le Cantal

Monument to the dead

    6019 Rue Sainte-Barbe
    15140 Salers
Ownership of the municipality
Crédit photo : B.navez - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1915
Death of Charles Lapeyre
15 septembre 1922
Delivery of the monument
1ère moitié du XXe siècle
Construction period
13 mars 2019
Registration for historical monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The monument to the dead located promenade de l'Église (cad. non cadastre): inscription by decree of 13 March 2019

Key figures

Pierre Albert Lapeyre - Colonel and Mayor of Salers Sponsor of the monument in memory of his son.
Charles Lapeyre - Soldier died in 1915 Son of the colonel, honored by the monument.
Casimir Croizet - Departmental architect Monument designer, typical Gothic style.

Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Salers, delivered on September 15, 1922, was commanded by Colonel Pierre Albert Lapeyre, then mayor of the city. This monument pays tribute to his son, Charles Lapeyre, killed in 1915 during the First World War. Its Gothic style, marked by a broken arch surmounted by a cock, incorporates symbolic elements such as the weapons of the city and the crosses of the Legion of Honour, although no Salers soldier received this distinction. The enigma surrounding this presence remains unresolved.

Located on the promenade of the Church, the monument is inspired by both the ancient triumphal arch and the medieval Gothic, with pieddroits bearing the names of the dead soldiers, accompanied by carved palms and war crosses. It serves as an entrance to a "garden of remembrance", offering views of the Cantal Mountains. Adorned with the dates of the conflict (1914-1918) and the municipal dedication, it has a local anchor while celebrating a national memory.

Designed by the departmental architect Casimir Croizet, the monument was listed as historical monuments by order of 13 March 2019. Its protection recognizes its heritage value, combining commemorative architecture and landscape integration. The cock, a recurring symbol in the monuments to the dead of Croizet, reinforces here the link between Gaulish identity (" gallus") and the duty of memory, in a dialogue between tradition and modernity.

The back of the arch, devoid of decor, contrasts with the ornamental richness of the facade, highlighting a desire for sobriety for the interior spaces of the garden. The bronze plaques, raised by palm trees, list the names of the soldiers, while the scabs house stone plant sculptures. This monument thus illustrates the duality between collective celebration and intimate mourning, characteristic of post-war commemorations in rural areas.

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