WAR MEMORIAL

The town's famous war memorial stands in the center of town. In 1922, the veterans of the 1914-1918 war wanted to mark the horror of the war forever, and had this monument erected, bearing the names of the 58 soldiers who died in the conflict. In this small village, some families had lost two or three of their children. Jules Coutaud, the mayor from 1920 to 1965 who initiated the project, had himself been gassed. On the plinth, the inscription "Maudite soit la guerre" ("Cursed be the war") is engraved in stone. A bronze statue of an orphaned child in school uniform stands at its feet, displaying the inscription with a raised fist. It is one of the few pacifist war memorials in France, and has become extremely famous.

Ignored by the authorities, the monument was never officially inaugurated. However, it has always been honored: by the mayor reading the official text, by schoolchildren reading a text in the spirit of the orphan, and by pacifist demonstrations every November 11. It is also said that troops on their way to the Courtine military camp had to turn their heads away when they came across it... Today, the Gentioux war memorial is listed on the Inventaire supplémentaire des Monuments historiques. In 2024, the bronze statue was renovated over an 8-month period, the cost of which was entirely covered by the French government. The Gentioux war memorial is and will remain a true symbol of peace.