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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Samonac War Memorial to the Dead of 1914-1918 was erected in 1920, north of the parish church. This memorial is part of the thousands of local tributes paid to soldiers who fell during the First World War. Its realization took place during the first quarter of the twentieth century, a period marked by a national will to remember and rebuild after the conflict.

The sculpture, by sculptor Raoul, represents a Gaulish cock trampling on a Germanic eagle, a classic allegory of the French Victory over Germany. This strong symbol, placed on a background evoking a battle scene, illustrates the patriotic rhetoric of the time. The monument is located in a public space, close to the church, highlighting its central role in the community and memorial life of the village.

Ranked as a Historic Monument by an order of 21 October 2014, the monument is fully protected, including its entourage on the public domain. This late inscription reflects a heritage recognition of the Great War Memorials, often seen as major historical and artistic witnesses. The precise location, 3 Place de la Mairie in Samonac (Gironde), is confirmed by the cadastral data and archives of the Merimée database.

The property of the monument belongs to the municipality of Samonac, as is usually the case for this type of public work. Its realization is part of a wider movement to build monuments to the dead in France, often financed by local subscriptions or municipal funds. Raoul's work, although poorly documented, adds to the diversity of regional artistic expressions dedicated to the memory of soldiers.

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