Monument aux morts de la guerre1914-1918
MonumentHidden Treasure
Monument aux morts de la guerre1914-1918, located in Saint-Astier (Dordogne), is a modern edifice built in the 19th-20th centuries. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Modern (19th-20th century)
- Location
- Saint-Astier, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.1465, 0.5298
- Mérimée Reference
- PA24000088
Erected between 1920 and 1922, this war memorial of Saint-Astier marks the corner of the place de la Victoire with its column topped by a funerary urn, linking symbolism and urban planning in a sober yet powerful tribute.
History
In the heart of Saint-Astier, a Périgord town on the banks of the River Isle, the monument to the dead from the 1914-1918 war is more than just a memorial: it blends intelligently into the urban fabric, forming the sharp corner of the retaining wall of the Place de la Victoire. This strategic location makes it much more than an isolated commemorative object - it is an architectural hinge, a pivot between the two parts of the town, placing the memory of the fallen soldiers at the very heart of communal life. Its singular silhouette strikes a striking balance between austerity and solemnity. A central column, flanked by buttresses with a quasi-rectangular geometry, rises with calculated restraint, while its crown in the form of a funerary urn - slightly reworked - is a clear reminder of the ancient funerary tradition reinterpreted by the commemorative architecture of the early 20th century. The composition avoids excessive emphasis, the better to express collective mourning. A visit to this monument invites a twofold reading: that of the plastic work itself, the fruit of collaboration between the architect A. Prodolliet and the sculptor A. Pugnet, two craftsmen of remembrance whose combined work gives the whole a rare coherence; and that of its urban integration, which can be observed by stepping back from the Place de la Victoire to see how the monument interacts with the surrounding buildings. For visitors with an interest in the commemorative heritage of the inter-war period, Saint-Astier is a particularly well-preserved example of a time when every commune in France sought to honour its dead with dignified and enduring architectural forms. The fact that it has been listed as a historic monument since 2014 is testament to the national recognition of its unique heritage value.
Architecture
The Saint-Astier war memorial is distinguished by its sober, rigorous architectural composition, typical of the commemorative style of the first quarter of the 20th century, which draws on the classical and neo-antique repertoire to express the gravity of national mourning. The central element is a slender column, whose verticality affirms the permanence of remembrance in the face of the passage of time. The column is framed by roughly rectangular buttresses, which give it a visual and structural foundation while recalling, in their geometry, the support and fortification architecture so present in the Périgord built landscape. The funerary urn - a form inherited from Greco-Roman antiquity and omnipresent in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century funerary iconography - has been slightly modified from the canonical models, demonstrating the designers' desire to add a personal touch to a highly codified programme. This urn, placed at the top of the column, encapsulates all the symbolism of the monument in a single plastic element: a symbolic receptacle for ashes and memories, it represents the collective meditation of a community in the face of its departed. The integration of the monument into the retaining wall of Place de la Victoire is perhaps its most original architectural feature. The building is not an autonomous object set in the urban space, but a constructive element in its own right within the fabric of the town, providing a link between the two parts of Saint-Astier. This structural dimension, which is rare for a commemorative monument, gives it an exceptional urban presence and immediate legibility from the different perspectives of the square.
Related Figures
A. Prodolliet — architecte auteur des plans du monument, actif en Aquitaine dans le premier quart du XXe siècleA. Pugnet — sculpteur ayant réalisé les éléments plastiques du monument, collaborateur de ProdollietLes soldats de Saint-Astier morts pour la France (1914-1918) — dont les noms sont inscrits sur le monumentLes édiles municipaux de Saint-Astier (1919-1922) — initiateurs et commanditaires du projet commémoratif
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Monument aux morts de la guerre1914-1918 located?
Monument aux morts de la guerre1914-1918 is located in Saint-Astier, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Monument aux morts de la guerre1914-1918 built?
Monument aux morts de la guerre1914-1918 dates back to a period built in the modern era (19th-20th century).
Is Monument aux morts de la guerre1914-1918 open to visitors?
Monument aux morts de la guerre1914-1918 is currently closed to visitors.
