Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The monument to the dead of La Côte-Saint-André, located in Place Saint-André, was commissioned in 1919 by Mayor René Sauttreau to the Lyon sculptor Alexandre Maspoli, assisted by J. Lesage. Inaugurated in August 1922, he distinguished himself by his symbolic combination of military heroism and civilian effort, embodied by a statue of Poilu and a peasant bas-relief at work. This rare theme, "Heroism and Work for Victory", pays tribute to women who have maintained agricultural activities during the war.

The building, which was listed as a historical monument in 2003, is an 8-metre pyramid of Comblanchien stone, topped by a Gallic cock in bronze. Its base is named after 128 soldiers who died in the 20th century (1914-1918, 1939-1945, Indochina, Algeria), as well as commemorative inscriptions and key dates. The statue of the Poilu, made of Échaillon stone, and the ornaments (lauriers, shields) underline its solemn and patriotic character.

Alexandre Maspoli, a sculptor trained by Rodin and champion of weightlifting, used for La Côte-Saint-André a model similar to that of the monument des Avnières (Isère), made two years earlier. The monument, a communal property, also reflects the artistic originality of its author, mixing classicism (Gaulian cock) and social realism (laboury peasantry), a rare approach in monuments to the dead of the time.

The site, close to the Saint-André church, is part of a city center rich in heritage. The successive restorations preserved its original materials (bronze, hard stones) and its polychromy, while its location on a public square makes it a central place of memory for the commune. Registration in the departmental and national inventory recognizes its historical and artistic importance.

External links