THE UNUSUAL SIDE OF VERDUN

Statue de bronze en l'honneur du Général SARRAIL

Erected in 1928, the War Memorial dedicated to the Citizens of Verdun is built inside the La Chaussée demi-lune, part of the fortifications constructed by Marshal Vauban in the 17th Century. The Memorial occupies the site of the former military slaughter-house destroyed in 1916. The statues represent the five arms of service of the French Army engaged in the battle of 1916. From left to right we can make out: a cavalryman, an Engineer sapper, an infantryman, also known as a “poilu”, an artilleryman and a reservist. These five soldiers form a human wall symbolising the motto of the City: “They will not pass”. On the base of the monument are inscribed the names of the soldiers from Verdun who died in the First and Second World Wars. See also: A statue of General Sarrail facing the monument, and a bust of General Mangin fixed on the rampart wall to the right. NOTE : The patriotic calendar of Verdun is well-filled, and among others, the commemoration ceremonies of 1st and 11th November take place in front of this monument.

This fortified gatehouse served as the official entry to the city ever since its construction in the 14th Century, as part of the Grand Rampart which surrounded Verdun in the Middle Ages. The gatehouse was offered to the city by Wautrec, a rich citizen who was an alderman. It symbolised the new status of Verdun which was made an “imperial free city” in 1374. By this the city was obliged to maintain its own ramparts and to look to its own defence in the case of an attack. See also : The defensive features of a medieval rampart, the portcullis, arrow-slits and the drawbridge mechanism, the decorative and useful features of a medieval building such as the gargoyles.

Representing a wounded warrior supported by a winged Victory, this figure group by the sculptor Rodin was proposed in 1879 as an entry in a competition organised by the Conseil Général of the Seine, to commemorate the resistance of the Parisians against the Prussians in 1870. Felt to be too violent for the time, the statue was not adopted. In 1916, the Netherlands government asked for permission to have a bronze copy cast, to offer it to the city of Verdun. The order was completed in 1920 and the statue installed at Verdun, firstly in De la Roche Square at the Saint Paul Gate, and later, on Frères Boulhaut Promenade.

L’initiative est lancée par l’Association des Membres de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole (AMOMA) Meuse, organisatrice du Congrès National de l’Association des médaillés de l’Ordre du mérite Agricole à Verdun du 17 au 19 juin 2016. Dans ce cadre, l’AMOMA Meuse a donc décidé de pallier au manque de reconnaissance aux femmes du monde rural, par l’érection de ce monument. Afin de mener à bien ce projet, une souscription publique a été mise en place afin de récolter les fonds nécessaires. Réalisé en pierre lorraine de Savonnières en Perthois et de Jaumont, l’œuvre se compose d’une sculpture réalisée par Denis Mellinger et d’un soubassement qui contient le médaillon « Ordre du Mérite Agricole » ainsi que les inscriptions suivantes : « HONNEUR ET AGRICULTURE 1914-1918 1939-1945 »

Added to the ramparts in the 19th Century, it is composed of two arched passages (entry and exit), each one protected by a drawbridge. The Gate allowed the Army conscripts arriving at the Station to enter the city centre, and reach the Jeanne d’Arc Barracks. In the 1920s the ramparts around the lower city, weakened by the bombardments of 1916, were pulled down. The only surviving remnants are the Saint-Paul Gate along with the Tour Chaussée. The former has been decorated with commemorative plaques dedicated to victory in the Battle of Verdun and to the reconstruction of the city.

The first abbey dedicated to Saint Paul was built in the 10th Century outside the city ramparts, on the spot where the sixth Bishop of Verdun, Paul, was buried. It was attacked by the citizens of Verdun in the 13th Century during a dispute with the current Bishop, then demolished in 1552 on the orders of the King of France. It was rebuilt on the present site in around 1560, then remodelled for the third time in the 18th Century. The buildings of the former Abbey are shared by the Sub-Prefecture and the Court of Justice. NOTE : The library of Saint Paul’s Abbey is now the Cloche d’Or Hotel.

This chapel was built in the 18th Century, and was formerly the chapel of the Jesuit College, established in Verdun in 1570. It was dedicated to Saint Nicolas because it was built on the former site of the medieval Saint Nicolas de Gravière Hospital. It also bears the name of an adjoining college, in memory of the Buvignier family, notable citizens of Verdun. See also : The marks left by the impact of shells and shrapnel which damaged the building in the course of the two World Wars, the attractive night-time illumination of the facade.

Verdun's cathedral was the first religious building to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is one of the oldest churches in Europe. Wars and the conflicts arising from the geographical situation of the Bishopric of Verdun have left their marks on the cathedral but it has become a symbol of a town that constantly rises from its ashes. Because of its history, it displays every architectural style, from Rhenish Romanesque to Baroque. It has 10th-century pillars, a 12th-century crypt and chapels dating from the 14th to 16th centuries and 18th-century. A fire destroyed the cathedral roof on 2 April 1755 and the building then had to undergo restoration. This was when Bishop de Nicolai and Canon Chaligny de Plaine, who had extensive knowledge of art history, brought the Baroque style into the cathedral's interior decoration. The baldaquin at the junction of the transept and the east side of the chancel dates from this period. The cathedral's stonework bears traces of First World War artillery shells. Make sure you visit the crypt, a gem of Romanesque architecture and a memorial to the soldiers who fought at Verdun in 1916 (west pillars in the crypt). Guided tours available.

The Saint-Amond Lock Bridge is one of three such constructions conceived by Marshal Vauban in the late 17th Century, to reinforce the South-Eastern part of the city’s defences. The bridge contained the mechanism to flood the upstream sector, to prevent an enemy’s artillery from coming within range of the city. Finally completed in 1867, it is the only remaining example to have survived the tumultuous history of Verdun. It is well preserved, and the machinery to set in motion the flooding is still in working order.

Completed in 1623 for Nicolas Japin, supplier of gunpowder to French King Louis XIII, this superb private residence was inspired by the Parisian building style of the 17th Century. As with the Citadel which was built at the same time, it was one of the initial milestones in the French administration’s presence in Verdun. It was purchased in 1744 by the City Council. And it was here, where so many important decisions were taken, that the tragedy of the death of Commandant Beaurepaire was played out in 1792. The building suffered a fire in 1864 which necessitated restoring its roof. In 1916, braving the bombardments, the Sapeur-Pompier Regiment tasked with dealing with outbreaks of fire in the city, set up their base in the cellars of the Town Hall. The Medal Room displays the 26 French and foreign medals given to the city in 1916 at the height of the Battle.

Built in the 14th Century, it was part of the Grand Rampart around Verdun. Horseshoe-shaped in plan, it is also known as the Puty Tower. The name “Plaids” comes from the court sessions which were held in the tower during the Middle Ages. See also : The old rampart bordering the Puty Canal and the Islot Tower. NOTE : The Puty Canal flows underneath the Tower of the Plaids. It is one of the many branches of the Meuse. These canals remind us of the period when the tanners’ workshops, involved in work for the Army, formed an important sector of the industrial activity of Verdun.

Built on piles at the end of the 19th Century, the Officers’ Mess was one of the buildings essential for the life of the garrison. It was offered to the Army by the contractors who built the forts, ouvrages and gun batteries which encircle Verdun. In 1890 the population of Verdun counted as many military personnel as there were civilians. Several barracks are still to be seen in and around Verdun.