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Origin and history

The monument to the dead of the 1914-1918 war of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, erected at the beginning of the 20th century, is a tribute shared with the neighbouring town of Pineuilh. Inaugurated in 1923, he was distinguished by a carved composition representing a grandfather sitting, showing his grandson the helmet pierced by a shell of his father, who died in combat. This work, carried out by sculptor Jean Camus, is backed by a wall decorated with vine feet, symbolizing both mourning and the transmission of memory.

The monument, fully classified with its grid and islet, was inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 21 October 2014. Its location, at 55 Boulevard Laregnère, is approximate, with an accuracy considered fair (note of 5/10). Owned by the commune, it embodies a double dimension: a tribute to the missing soldiers and an artistic testimony of the post-war period, marked by the work of Jean Camus.

This monument is part of a regional context where New Aquitaine, like other French territories, was deeply marked by the losses of the First World War. Monuments to the dead of this time often reflect a desire for collective commemoration, mixing patriotic symbols and local artistic expressions. In Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, the presence of the vine in the composition also recalls the economic importance of the wine in the region, while at the same time anchoring the memory in the daily landscape.

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