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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Aurillac, located in the department of Cantal in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, was commissioned in 1924 following a competition of architects. It was inaugurated on July 3, 1927, after being conceived as a tribute to the deaths of war, including the 600 children of Aurillac who disappeared during the First World War. Made of Vil honour lava, this monument symbolizes pacifism and takes the form of a monumental "wall".

The agreement for its construction was signed on 23 July 1925 between the mayor Louis Dauzier, the statuary Henri-Raphaël Moncassin and the architect André Maurice, winners of the contest. The monument represents a square stele decorated with a mortuary crown, surrounded by figures symbolizing family and peace. Peace, dressed in Greek, holds a warlike figure, evoking both the end of the war and the need to control violence to preserve order.

The sculptor Henri-Raphaël Moncassin, born in Toulouse in 1883 and died in Paris in 1958, is the author of four other monuments to the dead, including those of Fontenay-aux-Roses and Toulouse. This monument, owned by the commune, has been listed as historical monuments since March 13, 2019. It is distinguished by its pacifist approach and its integration of symbolic elements related to mourning and collective memory.

Located in Arsène-Vermenouze square, the monument is a central place of memory for the city of Aurillac. It illustrates the moral and social reconstruction effort after the First World War, while highlighting universal values such as peace and the family. Its architectural and sculptural style reflects the artistic tendencies of the inter-war period, combining classicism and symbolism.

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