A monument by Auguste Rodin in Damvillers commemorates the painter Jules Bastien-Lepage, who was born here. The town also has historic buildings and a natural area created on a former extraction site. Art, local history and landscape offer different ways to shape your stay – from a walking route featuring paintings to a stroll by the Ballastières.

Jules Bastien-Lepage in Damvillers

The Monument à Jules Bastien Lepage was erected in 1889 in memory of the painter, who was born in Damvillers. It is a work by Auguste Rodin, linking the memory of the artist with that of a celebrated sculptor. If you are interested in Bastien-Lepage, you can also explore the Circuit Jules Bastien-Lepage on foot. The circular route passes through the streets and hilly countryside of Damvillers and features ten of the artist’s paintings.

The monument and the route offer two different ways to explore the same subject: the monument is a single place of remembrance, while the Circuit connects the paintings with a walking route through the town and its landscape. Route details may change; check the current route before setting out.

Church, fortifications and places of remembrance

The Église Saint-Maurice has been fully classified as a historic monument since 9 June 1921. The church in Damvillers has major construction phases dating to the 15th and 18th centuries. These different phases reflect a building history that developed over a long period, rather than a single year of construction.

The town’s fortifications also reflect several historical periods: they probably date back to the 13th century, with a major construction phase in the 16th century. Remains of the former Porte de Verdun have survived. The gate itself was destroyed in 1922; the fortifications are associated with the period of Spanish occupation. This distinction matters if you are looking for the former fortification: in Damvillers, you will find remains of the gate, not the fully preserved gate itself.

Another place of remembrance is the statue of Maréchal Gérard. It was unveiled in 1858 in honour of E. M. Gérard, a marshal and Peer of France who was born in Damvillers. Together with the monument to Bastien-Lepage, the statue shows how different figures are connected to the town. The two tributes represent different paths in life: the painter on the one hand, and the military officer and statesman on the other.

Ballastières: landscape and ecological diversity

The Ballastières de Damvillers is an area of almost 20 hectares near the Thinte River. It was created on a former gravel and sand extraction site. An educational circular trail about one kilometre long leads through the area and is freely accessible all year round. This makes the walk a different experience from the Circuit Jules Bastien-Lepage: here, the focus is on the ecological diversity of the landscape, rather than paintings and local history.

The Ballastières includes a viewpoint and an observation post. Both are intended to help visitors discover the ecological diversity of the area. Check current conditions before visiting, as access and facilities may change. The short circular trail and the two observation points offer a specific nature-focused activity during your stay in Damvillers, without requiring a set amount of time.

The history of white storks is another part of the area’s natural heritage: they were reintroduced in Damvillers in 1991. This is a different kind of historical reference from those associated with buildings and monuments: while construction phases and tributes shape the town’s history there, the year marks the reintroduction of a bird species.

Two routes, different highlights

If you would like to combine art with a walk, the Circuit Jules Bastien-Lepage passes through the streets and hilly countryside to ten paintings. For a nature walk, the Ballastières offers an educational circular trail about one kilometre long, as well as a viewpoint and an observation post. The Circuit connects art with the streets and hilly countryside; the approximately one-kilometre trail at the Ballastières focuses on nature. This lets you choose what to focus on in Damvillers according to your interests, without having to combine both routes into a set itinerary.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Clermont-En-Argonne, Forges Sur Meuse, Nettancourt, Sampigny, Sommeilles, Saint-Mihiel, Azannes-Et-Soumazannes, Mécrin.

For the main travel overview: Meuse.