Croix de Bouthiry
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix de Bouthiry, located in Le Saint (Département 56), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Le Saint, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1158, -3.5649
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091650
Dressée sur le placître d'une chapelle en ruine, la Croix de Bouthiry déploie au cœur du Morbihan sa pierre de granit Renaissance : Christ sous accolade à crochets, Vierge au revers, un chef-d'œuvre discret de la statuaire bretonne du XVIe siècle.
History
In the heart of the commune of Le Saint, in deep Morbihan, the Croix de Bouthiry stands silently on the placître - the paved enclosure that precedes Breton rural chapels - of the former chapel of Saint-Adrien, now reduced to a ruin. Far from the notoriety of the great Gothic cathedrals or the châteaux of the Loire, this granite monument embodies a completely different kind of splendour: the intimate, stubborn splendour of Breton religious heritage, planted on the moors as an immutable testimony to popular faith. What makes the Bouthiry Cross truly singular is the richness of its sculptural programme on such a modest scale. On the main face, a Christ on the Cross is crowned by an accolade decorated with finely carved hooks, a characteristic motif of the flamboyant Gothic style in its decline. On the reverse, a Virgin in majesty responds to him, transforming the cross into a doubly inhabited object of devotion. Under the arms of the crosspiece, two identified figures - probably saints or donors - complete this dense iconography, making each side of the cross a scene to be deciphered. This unexpected encounter between a monument listed as a Historic Monument and an almost untamed site makes for an unforgettable visit. The setting of the ruined chapel, with its granite walls emerging from the vegetation, lends the whole a strikingly melancholy atmosphere. Visitors find themselves alone in front of the stone, without barriers or interpreters, in the silence of the Morbihan countryside. The polygonal base that acts as a capital, the slender cylindrical shaft and the square base with its meticulous cushioning reveal the hand of an accomplished stonemason, heir to a Breton lapidary tradition that was at its height at the time. The local bluish-grey granite takes on golden hues as the sun sets, providing photographers with a beautiful light. To visit the Croix de Bouthiry is to turn away from the tourist trails and return to the essential Brittany of calvaries, pardons and forgotten local saints - a Brittany where the stone speaks even louder than the guidebooks.
Architecture
The Bouthiry Cross is carved entirely from granite, the material of choice for Breton craftsmen because of its local availability and exceptional resistance to the Atlantic weather. Its vertical composition, from base to summit, follows a rigorous architectural logic that reveals the technical mastery of its designer. The whole structure rests on a square base with cushioning - i.e. chamfered or moulded corners - rebuilt in 1820, which ensures the stability of the structure. On this base rises a cylindrical shaft, slender and sober, which gives the cross its verticality. The shaft is topped by a polygonal base acting as a capital, an elegant transition between the column and the shaft of the cross itself. This arrangement - shaft, polygonal capital, crossbeam - is typical of 16th-century Breton crosses, which can be found in many parishes in Morbihan and Finistère. The sculpted programme is remarkably rich for a monument of this size. The main face features a Christ on the Cross surmounted by a brace decorated with finely carved hooks, a flamboyant Gothic motif that testifies to the persistence of this style in Breton workshops long after its decline in the rest of France. On the reverse, a Virgin - probably a Virgin and Child or Pietà - occupies the central field. Under the arms of the crosspiece, two figures in bas-relief complete the iconography, in the tradition of the multi-figure crosses characteristic of southern Brittany.
Related Figures
Saint Adrien de Nicomédie — martyr romain du IVe siècle, saint patron de la chapelle attenante dont le culte était répandu dans le Morbihan médiévalArtisans lapidaires morbihannais anonymes du XVIe siècle — tailleurs de pierre héritiers de la tradition gothique bretonneDonateurs ou marguilliers locaux du XVIe siècle — commanditaires présumés de la croix, représentants de la ferveur paroissiale bretonne de la RenaissanceRestaurateurs du socle (1820) — acteurs locaux de la préservation du monument au XIXe siècle, dans un contexte de redécouverte romantique du patrimoine bretonProsper Mérimée (1803-1870) — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, dont l'œuvre d'inventaire national prépara les conditions de la protection de 1931
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix de Bouthiry located?
Croix de Bouthiry is located in Le Saint, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix de Bouthiry built?
Croix de Bouthiry dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix de Bouthiry open to visitors?
Croix de Bouthiry is currently closed to visitors.
