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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Nouvelle-Aquitaine
  4. Pyrénées-Atlantiques
  5. 64100 Bayonne

  6. Monument to the War Deaths 1914-1918, located against the old ramparts

Monument to the War Deaths 1914-1918, located against the old ramparts à Bayonne dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Monument to the War Deaths 1914-1918, located against the old ramparts


    64100 Bayonne
Monument aux morts de la guerre 1914-1918, situé contre les anciens remparts
Monument aux morts de la guerre 1914-1918, situé contre les anciens remparts
Crédit photo : Nono314 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1923
Completion of construction
11 novembre 1924
Official Inauguration
21 octobre 2014
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The monument to the dead in full (Box BX 2, cf. plan annexed to the decree): inscription by order of 21 October 2014

Key figures

Molinié-Nicod - Architect Co-conceptor of the plans of the monument.
Pouthier - Architect Associated with the design of the monument.
Brasseur - Sculptor Author of the statues of the Poilu and the peasant.

Origin and history

The Bayonne Memorial to the Dead is a tribute to the victims of the First World War, built in the 1st quarter of the 20th century. Behind the old city walls, it takes the form of a long wall decorated with two symbolic statues: on the left, a Basque peasant guiding his ox and a plough, representing civil life and agricultural work; On the right, a Poilu in military uniform, embodying the sacrifice of the fighters. The building, inaugurated on November 11, 1924, was designed by architects Molinie-Nicod and Pouthier, associated with the sculptor Brasseur.

The monument is distinguished by its architectural integration with the historic ramparts of Bayonne, highlighting the link between collective memory and local heritage. The list of the dead, engraved on the wall, is framed by these two figures, creating a visual dialogue between laborious peace and war. Ranked a Historic Monument in 2014, it belongs to the commune and remains a major gathering place, reflecting Basque identity and national mourning.

The construction, completed in 1923, is part of a period of moral and physical reconstruction after the conflict. The artistic choices — such as the representation of the Basque peasant — highlight regional specificities, while integrating into a national commemoration movement. The location against the ramparts, symbol of protection, reinforces the solemn dimension of the site.

External links

Page Monumentum