The best road cycling routes around Pimprez

very nice route

The sight of military cemeteries is always very sad, but we must not forget history.

The National Military Cemetery of Vic-sur-Aisne, created in 1921, is an impressive necropolis containing the remains of 3,046 French soldiers, mainly killed during the Battles of the Aisne in World War I. Of these, 932 are buried in two ossuaries, and seven others died during World War II. Among the thousands of French soldiers is Ma Yi Pao, a young Chinese legionnaire who died of wounds on September 2, 1918, at the age of 24. He was one of the few Chinese to actually serve as a soldier in the French Foreign Legion, while most of his compatriots were employed as laborers. His grave (plot F, grave 59) is unique: he is the only officially recognized Chinese soldier to have died for France in this war.

Rethondes is associated with the armistice of 1918. On Sunday 10 November, Foch and Weygand attended mass in the small church. Outside hangs a commemorative plaque. Inside, the portraits of the two commanders are included in the stained glass window of the apse.

This impressive cemetery was built in 1920-1921 on a site that was heavily contested during the First World War. It contains the remains of 1,258 French soldiers, 547 of whom are buried in two ossuaries. One French soldier from the Second World War is also buried here. Adjacent is a German military cemetery with the remains of 1,095 soldiers, 388 of whom are buried in collective graves, together with four British and two French soldiers. The necropolis is located in a region where the German advance towards Paris passed through in 1914, and where fierce fighting took place in 1918 during the Battle of Matz. Today it is a serene place of remembrance and reconciliation, in the middle of a landscape that was once the scene of devastating battles.

The church is believed to have been built in the 12th century under the authority of the Knights Templar[2]. The church was almost completely destroyed during the First World War and was rebuilt identically in its original Romanesque style. It received its new blessing on March 6, 1932. It is characterized by its two-story bell tower, one square and the other octagonal, the capitals in the shape of heads perched on small columns, numerous sculptures along the gutters, and the modillions carved with fantastical figures. Source: Wikipedia

Anecdote: Among the thousands of French soldiers lies Ma Yi Pao, a young Chinese legionnaire who died of his wounds on September 2, 1918 at the age of 24. He was one of the few Chinese who actually served as a soldier in the French Foreign Legion, while most of his compatriots were deployed as laborers. His grave (plot F, grave 59) is unique: he is the only officially recognized Chinese soldier who died for France in this war.

The National Military Cemetery of Vic-sur-Aisne, created in 1921, is an impressive necropolis containing the remains of 3,046 French soldiers, mainly killed during the Battles of the Aisne in World War I. Of these, 932 are buried in two ossuaries, and seven others died during World War II.