Rue de Verdun – Lazare Ponticelli

Did you know that the road we are standing on now was called Rue de Verdun? It is a street in Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, a small town just outside Paris. This street is named after the Battle of Verdun, one of the bloodiest battles of World War I. It was fought in 1916 over a period of ten months. The French army was outnumbered by the German forces and nearly lost the battle. But they managed to hold the Germans back. It was a battle that truly tested the French army’s strength.
But it’s not only a reminder of a terrible battle this street is also named after a man that survived it and much more. Lazare Ponticelli was the last surviving veteran of the First World War from France. He was born in Italy but lived in France and at the age of 16, Lazare lied about his age to join the French Army. He had been living in Paris for 9 years when he made the decision to join the war. He later served in the Italian Army during the First World War. His life was full of hardship and he lived to be 110 years old. Lazare even started a metal work company with his brothers after the war.
After his death in 2008, his adopted town decided to honour Lazare by renaming the street Rue de Verdun – Lazare Ponticelli. Today, the street is a quiet residential street but it serves as a constant reminder of the courage and resilience of the French people and of a man who lived an extraordinary life.