Command of the monument 1922 (≈ 1922)
Trusted Papillard and Camus.
1924
Inauguration
Inauguration 1924 (≈ 1924)
Open to the public.
28 décembre 2021
MH classification
MH classification 28 décembre 2021 (≈ 2021)
Total protection of the monument.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The monument to the dead, in total, located near the entrance of the Carmes cemetery, on plot No. 92, section LS of the cadastre, as depicted in purple on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by order of 28 December 2021
Key figures
André Papillard - Architect
Designer of the monument, trained in Fine Arts.
Jean Camus - Sculptor
Author of bas-reliefs and allegories.
Pierre Coulon - Craftsman
Creator of wrought iron brasero.
Origin and history
The Carmes Cemetery Dead Monument, located in Clermont-Ferrand, was designed in a joint competition with Salford Place. It was to include a basement ossuary and a peristyle, as originally specified. The mayor of Clermont-Ferrand allocated a budget of 450,000 francs to erect two monuments "worthy of heroes" to be glorified. This project was entrusted in 1922 to architect André Papillard and sculptor Jean Camus, and the monument was inaugurated in 1924.
The building adopts the shape of a mastaba, inspired by Egyptian temples, with a parallelepipedic facade surmounted by a cornice. Two doric columns, devoid of capitals, frame the entrance, supporting a bahut engraved with a commemorative inscription. An Egyptian allegorical figure, wearing a nemes, raises palms symbolizing martyrdom. Side obelisks reinforce the symmetry of the ensemble, while a walk leads to a cella sheltering commemorative plaques and a brasero in wrought iron and bronze.
Inside, a rectangular space bathed in hidden zenithal light houses a bas-relief representing two stretchers carrying an injured soldier. A winged female allegory, evoking the Victory or the Homeland, deploys a banner with the inscription "Gloria in pace". The side walls list the names of the 3,000 Clermontois who died during the war, out of a population of 65,386 in 1918. This monument, entirely classified in 2021, illustrates a fusion of ancient influences in the service of collective memory.
André Papillard (1880-1964), an architect trained in Fine Arts, was also responsible for the development of the Philippe-Marcombes stadium in Clermont-Ferrand. He also designed the monument to the dead of Arbois, his hometown, marked by the same ancient inspiration. Jean Camus (1877-1955), a pupil sculptor from Barrias, specialized in commemorative works and made at least ten other monuments in the Puy-de-Dôme. Their collaboration for this project reflects aesthetic and symbolic research, combining architectural rigour and sculptural sensitivity.
