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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The monument to the dead of the ship is located in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, in the Yvelines, at the mouth of the Seine and the Oise. It commemorates the engagement of the boatmen during the First World War, an unknown episode of the History of France. Made of limestone from Souppes-sur-Loing, it represents a winged Victoire brandishing a plant crown, standing on the bow of a boat, inspired by the archaic Greek statuary. This sober frontal style reflects the influence of the artistic movement of the return to order, which advocated a classic ideal after the excesses of the avant-garde.

At the back of the monument, a wall bears the names of 134 sailors who died during or after the war, listed alphabetically. The site, formerly occupied by the charter exchange, is a place of perennial memory for the river community. Every year, at the end of June, the ceremony of the Great Pardon of the Batellerie, both civic and religious, pays tribute to the fighters and celebrates the golden age of this profession and the city, deeply linked to its river heritage.

The monument was listed as historic monuments in 2020, after an urgent restoration led by the city. By February 2020, water infiltration had damaged the statue, dropping its arms and crown. The work, entrusted to Mr Giordani, was inaugurated on 27 June 2020. This monument thus embodies both a tribute to the victims and an identity marker for the sailors, whose nomadic lifestyle revolves around the French waterways.

The work is signed by the sculptor Paul Silvestre, whose style is characterized by flat folds of chiton contrasting with the severity of the face of the Victoire. This artistic choice underscores the desire to combine commemorative solemnity and reference to antiquity, while anchoring the monument in its local context. The site, owned by the municipality, also includes landscaping and walking, protected by the 2020 Registration Order.

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