Metz-Chambieres National Cemetery, War cemetery in Metz, France
The Metz-Chambières National Cemetery is a military cemetery on the Moselle island of Chambière in Metz, with 5,014 individual graves and 11 ossuaries holding 13,015 French, Allied and German soldiers and civilians. At the end of a straight paved path stands a pale chapel-like building with a dark roof, a small square tower topped by a dome and thin spire, and an arched entrance; two stone pillars inscribed 1914 and 1918 flank a black wrought-iron gate.
The cemetery was created in 1870 for French soldiers who died during the Siege of Metz. After Germany annexed north-eastern Lorraine, the imperial administration turned it into a garrison cemetery. After 1918 it became a national necropolis reserved for war graves, and in 1966 further World War I dead from the Metz area were reburied here.
The separate grave fields hold French, German, British, Italian, Russian and Belgian dead; the French necropolis counts 1,700 Russians, 103 Britons, 88 Italians and 15 Belgians among its 13,015 burials. The Italian First World War square received 89 bodies in 1927. The entrance pillars are inscribed 1914 and 1918.
The cemetery is open year-round for visitors to explore the grounds at their own pace. Wear comfortable shoes as the site covers large areas, and maintain a respectful demeanor throughout your visit.
The cemetery holds 5,014 individual graves and 11 ossuaries gathering 13,015 French, Allied and German soldiers and civilians, among them 1,700 Russians, 103 Britons, 88 Italians and 15 Belgians. The Italian plot of the First World War, with 89 soldiers and officers buried in 1927, is one of the separate national sections.
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