Monument Commémoratif de la Première Victoire de la Marne

The Monument Commémoratif de la Première Victoire de la Marne is a national monument dedicated to the soldiers who fought from September 6 to 12, 1914. Located in the commune of Mondement-Montgivroux in the southwest of the Marne, the site preserves the memory of those who fought during the première bataille de la Marne. The site includes the national monument, a local museum, a church, a cemetery, and a château.

The monument was commissioned by the French Parliament in 1920 to honor the armies that fought in the première bataille de la Marne. Following a competition in 1929, the Ministry of War commissioned architect Paul Bigot and sculptor Henri Bouchard to design the structure. Construction began in 1931 and continued until 1938. Although inauguration was planned for 1939, the Second World War delayed the official opening until September 1951.

Situated on a hill reaching 209 meters, the monument offers a vast point of view over the battlefields of the marais de Saint-Gond and the Brie plateau. The structure takes the form of a colossal marker, cast on a metal frame in pink aggregates from Moselle, with foundations reaching 22 meters into the ground. The site features a monolith with bas-reliefs and inscriptions, an orientation table, and the old communal school which now houses a museum.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikimedia Commons