Croix de chemin dite Croix de Saint-Hubert
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix de chemin dite Croix de Saint-Hubert, located in Landébia (Département 22), 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
- Landébia, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.5185, -2.3343
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089242
Erected in the 16th century in Landébia, this angular devotional cross features a sculpted Virgin with a rare Breton grace. A listed monument to popular piety, a silent witness to the routes of faith in the Côtes-d'Armor region.
History
At a bend in the road in the commune of Landébia, in the Côtes-d'Armor department, stands the discreet Saint-Hubert Cross, one of the crossroads crosses that once lined the roads of Brittany to guide, protect and invite travellers to pray. Listed as a Historic Monument in 1964, it is part of the local heritage that we pass by without always stopping to look at it, but which nonetheless deserves our full attention. What immediately distinguishes the Saint-Hubert Cross from the countless calvaries and wayside crosses in Brittany is its "angular" character: set at the corner of a road, it marks a fork in the road, a decision point for walkers. This position is not insignificant - it gives the cross a role as a topographical landmark as much as a spiritual one, in the image of medieval crossroads that served as both milestones and open-air altars. The figure of the Virgin Mary that adorns the building forms the iconographic heart of the cross. Sculpted with the sobriety characteristic of 16th-century Breton statuary, it is reminiscent of the popular Marian representations found in neighbouring parish enclosures: a gentle, accessible presence that appeals as much to the humble peasant as to the passing traveller. A visit to the Saint-Hubert Cross is a moment of timeless contemplation in an unspoilt Breton rural landscape. The monument is set in an environment of hedged farmland and sunken lanes typical of Penthièvre, the inland region of the Côtes-d'Armor where rural and religious traditions have been perpetuated with remarkable continuity. For heritage enthusiasts and curious walkers, this cross is also an invitation to explore the network of crosses, chapels and oratories that make up the invisible but omnipresent fabric of the Breton landscape, revealing a sacred geography shaped century after century by popular faith.
Architecture
The Saint-Hubert Cross belongs to the category of angular crosses, i.e. crosses designed to be placed at the corner of a road or crossroads. This type of placement often results in an asymmetrical composition or a particular treatment of the shaft, allowing it to be seen from several directions. The most remarkable feature of the cross is the figure of the Virgin Mary. Carved according to the canons of 16th-century Breton statuary, this Marian representation bears witness to the skills of local stonemasons, heirs to a long tradition of craftsmanship. The stone used is probably granite, the material of choice for Breton craftsmen because of its resistance to bad weather and its availability in the region. The sculpture displays the sobriety and formal robustness typical of the popular religious production of inland Brittany, as distinct from the refinements of the north coast. The whole structure rests on a plinth or base that anchors the cross in the ground and gives it the height of a wayside monument, visible to travellers on foot or on horseback, but without rivaling the great monumental calvaries. Four centuries of exposure to the elements have given the granite its characteristic patina, a mixture of golden and grey lichens, which blends the cross harmoniously into the surrounding hedged farmland.
Related Figures
Saint Hubert de Liège — évêque et saint patron des chasseurs auquel la croix est dédiée, figura tutélaire invoquée pour la protection des hommes et des animauxArtisan tailleur de pierre local du XVIe siècle — sculpteur anonyme de la Vierge ornant la croix, représentant de la tradition lapidaire bretonneParoissiens de Landébia — commanditaires collectifs probables de la croix, expression de la dévotion rurale bretonne de l'Ancien RégimeInspecteur des Monuments Historiques (1964) — responsable de la procédure d'inscription ayant officiellement reconnu la valeur patrimoniale de la croix
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix de chemin dite Croix de Saint-Hubert located?
Croix de chemin dite Croix de Saint-Hubert is located in Landébia, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix de chemin dite Croix de Saint-Hubert built?
Croix de chemin dite Croix de Saint-Hubert dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix de chemin dite Croix de Saint-Hubert open to visitors?
Croix de chemin dite Croix de Saint-Hubert is currently closed to visitors.