The monumental Poilu statue
Fort Carré is also home to the monumental statue of “Poilu,” erected in honor of the soldiers who died for France during World War I.

It took sculptor Henri Bouchard four years to complete the monument, which stands 22 meters tall, making it France’s tallest memorial to those fallen in wars.

At the inauguration in 1927, 261 names were read. Antibes is in fact one of the municipalities in France that lost the largest number of its own during World War I.

If you look closely, you’ll see Poilu carries his weapon on the left side, which is a mistake. The weapon should be carried on the right. The error later sparked the legend that it caused the artist who made the monument to take his own life. But that’s not true—Henri Bouchard remained quite productive until his death in Paris in 1960.

The statue is best viewed from Fort Carré Stadium.

By Tommy Sverre / 2020