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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Occitanie
  4. Aude
  5. 11110 Coursan

  6. Monument to the Dead of the 1914-1918 War

Monument to the Dead of the 1914-1918 War à Coursan dans l'Aude

Aude

Monument to the Dead of the 1914-1918 War

    11 Quai Lamartine Prolongée
    11110 Coursan
Photo de Monument to the Dead of the 1914-1918 War
Crédit photo : Pitxiquin - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
25 mai 1919
Construction decision
18 octobre 2018
Registration for historical monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The monument to the dead, in total, including the massif of reinforced concrete masonry carried by pillars where the statue is located, as well as a half-circle bench at the back of it and two small bases supporting two cast iron vases, located on the departmental D60009, on the bridge over the Grand-Vignes Canal (non-cadasted), as delimited in red on the attached cadastral plane: inscription by decree of 18 October 2018.

Key figures

P. Jumeau - Architect Author of the plans of the monument.
J. Barrul - Entrepreneur Responsible for the construction of the monument.
Jean Magrou - Sculptor Creator of the allegorical limestone statue.

Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Coursan, located in the department of Aude in the Occitanie region, commemorates the soldiers of the commune who disappeared during the wars of the twentieth century, notably that of 1914-1918. It is distinguished by its central location, on a bridge crossing the Canal de Grand-Vignes, and by its absence of engraved names, limited to a generic inscription: "La commune de Coursan à ses enfants morts pour la France". The allegorical limestone statue, representing France in arms with a lion beside it, dominates a rectangular pedestal surrounded by cast iron vases. Together, 5 meters high, combines patriotic symbols and architectural simplicity.

The decision to build the monument was taken on 25 May 1919, less than a year after the Armistice, under the leadership of the municipal council. The plans are entrusted to architect P. Jumeau, while contractor J. Barrul supervises the works and sculptor Jean Magrou carries out the statuary. The monument is listed for historical monuments on October 18, 2018, recognizing its artistic and memorial value. It is one of 42 monuments to the dead protected in Occitanie for their emblematic representation of the tribute to the soldiers of the Great War.

Unlike many monuments to the dead of the time, the one in Coursan does not draw up a nominative list of victims. This choice reflects a desire for collective commemoration, where sacrifice is honoured without individual distinction. The composition, with its lion symbolizing strength and its female figure incarnation of the homeland, fits into the artistic codes of the 1920s, mixing classicism and contained emotion. Registration for historic monuments in 2018 underscores its importance as a historical and artistic testimony of local memory.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum