Notre Dame de Lorette National Cemetery
Notre Dame de Lorette National Cemetery, War cemetery and UNESCO World Heritage site in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, France
The Notre Dame de Lorette National Cemetery spans across a 165-meter-high ridge, containing 40,057 graves and eight ossuaries with remains of French military personnel.
Four substantial battles occurred at this location between 1914 and 1915, marking strategic confrontations between French and German forces during World War I.
The Neo-Byzantine basilica and lantern tower, constructed between 1921 and 1927 by architects Louis-Marie and Jacques Cordonnier, represent French memorial architecture.
The cemetery provides dedicated sections for different religious denominations, with Muslim graves oriented eastward and maintains public facilities near the south entrance.
A Voluntary Guard of Honor has maintained a weekly tradition since 1920 of rekindling the Eternal Flame every Sunday at this military memorial.
Location: Ablain-Saint-Nazaire
Inception: June 19, 1921
Part of: Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front)
Website: http://association-du-monument-de-notre-dame-de-lorette.e-monsite.com
GPS coordinates: 50.40111,2.71889
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:37
The Hauts-de-France region stretches from the English Channel coast to the World War I battlefields, containing medieval castles, nature reserves, and historic gardens. Château de Pierrefonds displays 19th-century French military architecture, while the 13th-century Château d'Olhain sits on artificial islands. Abbaye de Vaucelles preserves Cistercian architecture, and the Collégiale Saint-Pierre de Doullens demonstrates Gothic construction. The Familistère de Guise documents 19th-century industrial social architecture. The natural landscape includes Parc du Marquenterre, a bird sanctuary on the Somme Bay, and Les Hortillonnages Amiénois, floating gardens near Amiens. Jardins de Valloires and Jardins de Sericourt showcase French garden design across different periods. Cap Blanc-Nez provides cliffs overlooking the English Channel. Military sites such as Blockhaus d'Éperlecques, Forteresse de Mimoyecques, and Batterie de Zuydcoote recall World War II operations. The Nécropole Nationale de Notre-Dame de Lorette and Tour d'Ulster at Thiepval document World War I. Musée Matisse in Le Cateau-Cambrésis displays works by the artist in his birthplace.
The French memorial sites and museums of World War I bear witness to the events of 1914-1918. The monuments, military cemeteries, forts, underground quarries, and interpretation centers present major battles like Verdun and the Somme. These places preserve the remnants of the battles and document the history of French and allied soldiers through objects, photographs, and period documents.
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