Cinq-Mars-la-Pile () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Indre-et-Loire Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in central

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Population

Sights

* Pile of Cinq-Mars: the town derives its name from a thirty metres high, brick

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

tower perched on the hillside. It is remarkably well preserved. This is the highest funeral stack in Gaul (the other buildings are located in

Aquitaine Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 January ...

). In 2005, excavations unearthed remains of a monumental terrace with a remains of a building and a statue of a captive Oriental. The complex has been dated to the late second century or early third, seems to confirm it as a monument to a funeral pyre or pile. This aspect of the mausoleum suggests that it is a monument marking the grave of a dignitary of the

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...

area, perhaps high-ranking military * Monument in honour of

Robert H. Dunlap Robert Henry Dunlap (December 22, 1879 – May 19, 1931) was a general in the United States Marine Corps. Military career Born in Washington, D.C., Dunlap was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps August 8, 1898. He served with dis ...

, General

U.S. Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

who was killed in May 1931 while trying to rescue a woman in a landslide in the village. A veteran of the First World War he was in France to follow lectures at Military College. It is one of six memorials in the series "Borne de la Terre sacrée" by the sculptor and former soldier of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Deblaize Gaston.

References

Emmanuel Marot, La pile gallo-romaine de Cinq-Mars-la-Pile (Indre-et-Loire) : réexamen du dossier à la lumière des récentes découvertes
Communes of Indre-et-Loire {{IndreLoire-geo-stub

Population

Sights

See also

References