First references to the project 1919 (≈ 1919)
Start discussions for the monument.
18 juillet 1924
Designation of the architect Pierredon
Designation of the architect Pierredon 18 juillet 1924 (≈ 1924)
L. Pierredon, project manager.
25 octobre 1925
Opening of the monument
Opening of the monument 25 octobre 1925 (≈ 1925)
Official ceremony after 6 years.
18 octobre 2018
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 18 octobre 2018 (≈ 2018)
National Heritage Protection.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The monument to the dead in its entirety, including the basin, as delimited in red on the attached cadastral plan, located on the square of Verdun, not cadastral: inscription by order of 18 October 2018.
Key figures
L. Pierredon - Architect
Designer of the monument in 1924.
Marcel Mérignargues - Sculptor
Author of the four bas-reliefs.
Albert Malanot - Ornemanist
Responsible for other sets.
Origin and history
The monument to the dead of Alès, located in the park of the Bosquet slightly on the outskirts of the city center, is dedicated to the soldiers of the commune who died during the conflicts of the twentieth century. It consists of a five-column stone portal, framed by four bas-reliefs representing the emblematic battles of the First World War: the Marne, Verdun, Champagne and l-Yser. Two basins on base adorn the ends, while a water-jet basin is in front of the building. The names of 778 soldiers who died during the First World War, 130 during the Second War, as well as those of the Indochina and Algeria War, are engraved.
The construction of the monument was mentioned in 1919, but the project was officially entrusted to architect L. Pierredon on 18 July 1924. The bas-reliefs are carved by Marcel Mérignargues, while Albert Malanot takes care of the rest of the ornamentation. Inaugurated on October 25, 1925, the monument costs 99,956 francs, including 20,000 for sculptures. It is listed as historic monuments on October 18, 2018, among 42 monuments in the Occitanie region protected for their heritage value.
The monument is part of a national commemoration after the First World War, reflecting the will of the municipalities to pay tribute to their missing soldiers. In Alès, as elsewhere in France, these monuments become places of collective memory, symbolizing sacrifice and unity in the face of conflicts. Their architecture and iconography, often loaded with symbols, aim to perpetuate the memory of battles and victims, while integrating an artistic and urban dimension into public space.
