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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Occitanie
  4. Tarn
  5. 81000 Albi

  6. Monument to the dead

Monument to the dead dans le Tarn

Monument to the dead

    Boulevard Général Sibille
    81000 Albi
Ownership of the municipality
Museums of France
All statues, arches and monuments classified in France
Photo de Monument to the dead
Crédit photo : Didier Descouens - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1918 (décembre)
Municipal decision
1921 (avril)
Choice of location
19 février 1924
Laying the first stone
28 novembre 1926
Opening of the monument
18 octobre 2018
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The monument to the dead in total as delimited in red on the cadastral plan annexed to the decree, located on the boulevard of General Sibille, section AP (parcelle non cadastrale): inscription by order of 18 October 2018

Key figures

Léon Daures - Architect Designer of the monument, inspired by ancient.
Édouard Andrieu - Mayor of Albi (1921) Chairs the construction committee of the monument.
Gaston Doumergue - President of the Republic In office at the inauguration in 1926.
Gaston Toussaint - Sculptor Author of the inner medallions (general, Jaurès).
Jean Jaurès - Commemorated figure Controversial medallion among honored personalities.
Général Sibille - Local Personality Honoured Effigy on an inner medallion.

Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Albi, erected in the heart of the city on Sibille Boulevard, takes the form of a brick triumphal arch, inspired by ancient models such as the mausoleum of Caecilia Metella. It includes military trophies, bronze medallions representing local figures (General Sibille and Séré de Rivière, Colonel Teyssier, Jean Jaurès), and 28 marble plaques engraved with the names of the 636 Albige soldiers who died during the First World War. Its architecture combines classical symbols (laurel gurlands, friezes) and local materials, with interior decoration evoking iconic battles (Marne, Verdun) and a central flame dedicated to the unknown soldier.

The project, entrusted to architect Léon Daures in 1918, evolves towards a "simple and grandiose" monument harmonized with Albige architecture, notably through the use of brick. Inaugurated on 28 November 1926 after debates (notably on the inclusion of Jean Jaurès), it is financed by the municipality at a cost of 280,000 francs. Local artisans contribute to sculptures, mosaics (war Cross surrounded by olive trees), stained glass windows and wrought iron grilles. Two side hemicycles house the names of the disappeared, framed by Latin currencies ("Ubi concordia ibi victoria") and symbols of concord.

The building is part of a post-Great War context where municipalities honour their dead with public monuments. In Albi, the choice of brick and references to Jaurès (local socialist figure) reflects a desire for territorial anchoring, while the inscriptions ("Let their death unite us") emphasize civic unity. Ranked a Historic Monument in 2018, it remains a major urban marker, mixing national memory and Albige identity.

The polemic before the inauguration illustrates the memorial tensions of the time, especially around the figure of Jaurès, a pacifist murdered in 1914. Despite this, the monument embodies a synthesis between ancient tradition (arch of triumph), military homage (trophies, engraved names) and local dimensions (materials, honoured personalities). Its location on Sibille Boulevard, at the edge of the historic centre, makes it a landmark in the city.

The interior decorative elements, such as medallions or mosaics, were made by Albige artisans, including the sculptor Gaston Toussaint. The crowns of chestnut trees and the currencies (" Spes illorum immortalitas") reinforce the solemn character of the tribute. The monument, a communal property, is now fully protected, including its wrought iron windows and grilles adorned with war crosses.

External links

Page Monumentum