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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Saint-Martin-d'Estréaux, located in the Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, was created in 1922 by sculptor Jean-Baptiste Picaud. It is distinguished by its structure consisting of three panels and one column, incorporating glazed photographs of soldiers killed in the First World War. A mourner carved in bas-relief adorns the monument, while pacifist inscriptions mark its originality, such as "Si vis pacem, para pacem" ("If you want peace, prepare peace") or "Cursed be war and its authors!". These texts, engraved in 1922 at the initiative of Mayor Pierre Monot, denounce the horrors of war, including a human score (12 million dead) and a condemnation of the shootings for example.

The monument, long controversial, suffered degradations in the 1930s, attributed to members of the French Action. Due to his pacifist message and national mourning, his official inauguration took place only in 1947, 25 years after its creation. Today, there is still a strong symbol of memory and gathering, attracting activists from different backgrounds for commemorations every 11 November. Its classification as Historic Monument in 2021 confirmed its heritage and memorial importance.

The work of Jean-Baptiste Picaud, originally from Roanne, is also singularized by his artistic and committed approach. The photographs of the disappeared, a rarity for the time, humanize the monument, while the engraved texts reflect a desire to convey a universal message against war. This monument thus illustrates the memorial tensions between the two wars in France, between pacifism, national mourning and political divisions. Its history also reflects the evolution of mentalities in the face of the commemoration of conflicts, between initial rejection and late recognition.

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