Gergovie Monument

The Gergovie Monument (French: monument de Gergovie) or Memorial to Vercingetorix (French: monument commémoratif à Vercingétorix) is a monument by the Clermontois architect Jean Teillard built in 1900[1] on the eastern edge of the Gergovie plateau, a few kilometers south of Clermont-Ferrand in the French departement of Puy-de-Dôme in Auvergne. It commemorates Vercingetorix's victory over Julius Caesar on this site in 52 BC.[1][2]

Gergovie Monument
TypeMonument in Volvic stone
Completion date1900 (1900)

The monument was registered as a French Monument historique in March 2018[3] (the oppidum was registered in 2013) and in November of the same year, the monument was classified, included in a much larger classification of a major part of the Gergovie plateau.[4]

Characteristics
Latin plate above the crypt door

The 26-meter-high monument[1] is made of Volvic stone. It is composed of a support base with 3 columns topped by Corinthian capitals and a Gaulish helmet in whimsical form.[1] The base houses a crypt with a cenotaph of Vercingetorix.[2] Three plates adorn the building.

One of the plates, above the entrance of the crypt on the west side, has the following inscription in Latin:

GERGOVIA
IN HIS LOCIS DVX ARVERNORVM
VERCINGETORIX
C CESAREM INVADENTEM PROFLIGAVIT

Translated into English:

Gergovie / In this place, the Arverni chief / Vercingetorix / defeated the invader Gaius Caesar

  • The Gergovie plateau seen from south with the monument in the background
    The Gergovie plateau seen from south with the monument in the background
  • Other side of the building with a plate with the name of officials who contributed to its construction.
    Other side of the building with a plate with the name of officials who contributed to its construction.
  • The winged helmet "Gaulish".
    The winged helmet "Gaulish".
  • The monument seen from one of the rooms of the Museum of the battle of Gergovia (MAB).
    The monument seen from one of the rooms of the Museum of the battle of Gergovia (MAB).

See also

References
  • Partial translation of the French Wikipedia article (22 October 2019 version).
  1. The Monument Archived 2020-06-27 at the Wayback Machine, Tourist office of Gergovie (in French)
  2. Ehrard, Antoinette (1980). Vercingétorix contre Gergovie ? Nos ancêtres les Gaulois (in French). Clermont-Ferrand: Faculté des lettres et sciences humaines de Clermont-Ferrand.
  3. "Oppidum de Gergovie", French Ministry of Culture. (in French)
  4. "List of the Historical monuments protected buildings in 2018", published in Journal Officiel de la République Française, 12 may 2019, text 18. (in French)

45.7210°N 3.1269°E / 45.7210; 3.1269

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