Le Monument aux morts

The First World War monument was created in 1921 by Toulouse-born sculptor Carlo Sarrabezolles. This artist, who won the second Grand Prix de Rome in 1914 for his sculptures, had Martra origins through his maternal grandparents.

This war memorial depicts a standing peasant woman weeping, leaning against an obelisk topped by a rooster. Her right arm rests on a helmet, a palm and the cross of a grave. This peasant woman was called Anne Pujol, known as “Annette”, and was used as a model. She lived in the Pagès district of Martres.

The symbols represented on this monument are as follows:

The cockerel evokes national pride, the spirit of war and the song of victory.
The helmet represents the collective image of the town’s dead.
The palm is the Christian symbol of martyrdom.
The cockerel, helmet and palm are symbols of the sacrifices made by the combatants.
The cross signifies the presence of a grave where the soldier is laid to rest.

The war memorial has an educational role to play in helping future generations to understand the significance of this sacrifice. The names of Martrais’ fallen soldiers are engraved on two sides of the building. A plaque has been added at the foot of the monument for soldiers who died in the Second World War and a stele for the Algerian War.