Dedicated to the victims of World War I this is the war memorial on Île du Souvenir. It sits serenely on Île aux Cygnes. This island is within Lyon’s Parc de la Tête d’Or. The Monument aux morts de l’Île du Souvenir is more than stone. It embodies Lyon’s remembrance of its fallen.
The city of Lyon launched a competition in December 1920. They sought a design for a new war memorial. Architect Tony Garnier designed the Monument aux morts. Sculptors Jean-Baptiste Larrivé, Louis Bertola, and Claude Grange contributed.
Garnier initially proposed an immense temple. It featured a double colonnade on La Croix-Rousse hill. This design called “Athéna” won the second round. Cost concerns led to its abandonment. The “Philae” project became the chosen design. It was a collaboration with Jean-Baptiste Larrivé.
The ensemble faced redesigns. An initial group of six columns was replaced. Each column originally had a statue at its peak. Then in 1922 two fluted shafts rising from the water replaced them. Those too were scrapped. A perimeter wall was planned. It would have a frieze and colonnettes. These features were too ambitious. They were never built.
Jean-Baptiste Larrivé created the cenotaph. Louis Bertola and Claude Grange crafted the bas-reliefs. The island itself was created. Landscaping occurred between 1924 and 1930.
Arnold Böcklin’s painting Isle of the Dead inspired the project. The Monument aux morts includes a central cenotaph. It represents six bearers. They carry a tombstone wrapped in a shroud. The war memorial pays tribute to 10600 Lyonnais. They died fighting for France in World War I. Auguste Larrivé finished his brother Jean-Baptiste’s work after his death.
Louis Bertola created Le Départ and La Guerre bas-reliefs. Claude Grange made La Paix and La Victoire bas-reliefs. The stone for the Monument aux morts came from Cruchaud and Goulot quarries.
Since November 4 1982 the war memorial has been listed as a historical monument. It is part of the Parc de la Tête-d’Or complex. The park includes the main gate. It also includes the Montgolfier Gate. You will also find the Camellia and Pandanus greenhouses. On March 10 2003 it received the label “Heritage of the 20th Century”.
In 2013 the Monument aux morts underwent renovation. Cleaning revealed the 10600 names on the cenotaph. The island reopened to the public in early 2017. It had been closed for several years.
Take a closer look at the cenotaph. Note the names of the fallen. Consider the bas-reliefs. They depict departure, war, peace, and victory. The Monument aux morts on Île du Souvenir stands as a powerful reminder. It urges reflection on sacrifice and peace.