Basques Memorial, Military memorial near Chemin des Dames, France
The Basques Memorial is an obelisk standing roughly 14 meters tall, built from light-colored limestone and positioned near Craonnelle in northern France. Its sides are carved with the names of towns and municipalities from the Basque Country that sent soldiers to the fighting.
The memorial was dedicated in 1928 to honor soldiers from the 36th Infantry Division who came from the Basque Country and fought in World War I. It was built years after the war ended as part of broader efforts across the region to remember those who fell.
The memorial depicts a Basque farmer wearing traditional clothing rather than a soldier, honoring the fallen in their everyday identity. This choice connects the memory of those lost to the rural life and heritage of people from the Pyrenees.
The memorial sits along road D18 between Craonnelle and Oulches-la-Vallée-Foulon, where you can stop freely to visit. The location offers a quiet place to pause and reflect on the monument at your own pace.
Plaques on the sides name six key towns and cities from the Basque Country, including Bayonne, Biarritz, and other important urban centers. This list shows how widely the war's impact spread throughout the region.
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