Memorials in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
© drac paca - crmh
The regional conservation of historical monuments has recently conducted a theme under the general name of the memorials to protect as the most representative historical monuments. The goal is also to make elected officials aware of this theme so that they integrate it into their urban planning document as a remarkable element of heritage.
Indeed the memorials located in the public space are often the object of displacements, even modifications or destruction especially when the government of Vichy imposed the melting of non-ferrous metals.
The images folder that you can consult is the result of a selection work according to a grid of criteria, such as artistic quality, originality, the historical importance of the character or event, the age of the monument, the notoriety of the artist or urban composition.
It is interesting to note that very few memorials were erected during the lifetime of the character. Here are a few. The sculptor Félix Charpentier died in 1924. His work "the wrestlers" was deposited in 1905 in Bollène (Vaucluse) in his homage and during his lifetime. Roland Garros died in 1918: the monument erected in 1914 commemorates the first crossing of the Mediterranean from Saint-Raphaël to Bizerte on September 23, 1913. The bailiff of Suffren died in 1788, the bust and the stone vessel were erected 3 years before (1784-1785). Jean-Henri Fabre, the entomologist, died in 1915, his monument to Sérignan was erected 1 year before. As for Mistral, his statue is erected in Arles 5 years before his death on March 25, 1914.
The monument erected to honour a famous man often comes on the occasion of a birthday or a fiftieth anniversary, sometimes more than 100 years later, or even 200 years later. The reason is political, as Régis Bertrand pointed out in an article "the commemorative ardours" of the Count of Villeneuve, Prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône at the beginning of the 19th century. Félibres are often at the origin of the erection of monuments, we can mention Roumanille and Clovis Hugues or Nicolas Saboly, 200 years after his death to have his poetic work recognized.
Out of 300 monuments listed and located in the public area of the PACA region, a classification of monuments by period has made it possible to establish a national constant:
- The monuments of the Ancien Régime are very rare.
- 19th century: one third of the corpus corresponds to this period, the highest number being in the 4th quarter between 1875 and 1900.
- 20th century: two thirds of the corpus corresponds to this period, the most prolific period being between 1900 and 1925.
The term "statuomania", forged by Maurice Aghulon, lies under the 3rd Republic and more precisely between 1875 and 1925.
Of the 13 monuments listed or classified as historical monuments, 2 are part of the Ancien Régime, 4 of the 19th century and 7 of the 1st quarter of the 20th century.
Historical topics:
- the French Revolution: the victims of Bédoin,
- the centenarians of France: the county of Nice.
Wars other than the 1914-1918 conflict:
- monument to the heroes of the East and the distant lands,
- monument to Alexander I of Yugoslavia and Louis Barthou.
Events:
- the heroes of the sea, the arrival of water, Louis Giraud.
Important characters:
- the military: Suffren, Masséna, Garibaldi, the Tambour d'Arcole,
- the poets, felicitous artists: Frédéric Mistral, Clovis Hughes,
- industrialists: Léon Chiris.
This folder provides access to:
- the entire iconography concerning each monument - PatrImages
- 20th century heritage and protection notices
- and records in the national database Mérimée.
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