Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Sauveterre-la-Lémance was commissioned in 1921 to honour the 27 soldiers of the commune who had fallen during the First World War. The architect Gaston Rapin, originally from Villeneuve-sur-Lot, designed the base, while the cast-iron sculpture, entitled "The Victory with Flags", was made by Édouard-Marcel Sandoz and melted at the workshops of Val d的Osne. The masonry work was entrusted to E. Brousse, and the fence, manufactured by the local Edmond Blanchard and son workshop, was laid in 1925.

The allegorical statue represents a moving woman, holding a flag partially wrapped in her right hand and an olive branch in the left. This monument, typical of the tributes given after 1918, symbolizes both the French Republic and the peace found. It was listed as a historical monument on 21 October 2014, protecting the whole (sculpture, base, garden and gate) for its heritage and memorial value.

Gaston Rapin, known for his allegorical representations, collaborated here with the sculptor Édouard-Marcel Sandoz, whose signature "Sandoz" is at the base of the work. The smelters of Val d'Osne, renowned for their production of memorials, played a key role in the technical realization of this sculpture. The choice of a "victory" crowned with laurels and wearing flags reflects the national iconography of the era, blending mourning and celebration of victory.

Located in Platanes Square, this monument is part of a local context marked by the post-war period, where rural communities like Sauveterre-la-Lémance have sought to perpetuate the memory of their own. Its recent listing (2014) highlights the importance attached to preserving these historical testimonies, often threatened by oblivion or degradation. The grid, manufactured by a local mechanical workshop, also recalls the artisanal and community anchor of this project.

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