Croix de chemin en pierre provenant de l'ancien cimetiere de Farlon
Monument
Croix de chemin en pierre provenant de l'ancien cimetiere de Farlon, located in La Roche-sur-Foron (Département 74), 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
- La Roche-sur-Foron, Département 74, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 46.0679, 6.3145
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00118423
A remnant of the former Farlon cemetery, this 15th-century stone cross stands in La Roche-sur-Foron, its shaft carved in the Savoyard style. It was listed as a Historic Monument in 1906.
History
At a bend in the road in La Roche-sur-Foron, in the Haut-Genevois region of Savoie where the bell towers rival the Alpine peaks, the cross from the former Farlon cemetery imposes its grey limestone silhouette with sovereign discretion. Listed as a Monument Historique since 1906 - an early distinction that testifies to the foresight of the first Beaux-Arts inspectors - it belongs to that category of humble works that are brushed aside without always measuring their historical depth. Erected in the last quarter of the 15th century, at a time when Savoie was going through a period of architectural splendour under the House of Savoy, this roadside cross is much more than a simple devotional marker. It marks out the ancient topography of the medieval town and preserves the memory of Farlon, the vanished cemetery of which it is the only tangible vestige today. In this sense, it is as much a document as a monument. To visit this cross is to allow yourself a rare moment of slowness. Its modest size means you can't contemplate it from a distance: you have to get up close, read the edges of the stone, guess at the traces of a medieval chisel, identify the remains of a sculpted decoration that the centuries have weathered without erasing. Lovers of late Romanesque and flamboyant sculpture will find here much to compare with the many rural crosses that line the roads of Haute-Savoie. The setting of La Roche-sur-Foron adds to the interest of the visit: as the historic capital of the Genevan region, the town still boasts an imposing medieval tower, remarkable market halls and an urban fabric that immediately plunges visitors back into the atmosphere of the Alpine villages of the late Middle Ages. The Farlon cross takes on its full meaning in this coherent heritage landscape, where each stone tells a story of Savoyard history.
Architecture
The Farlon cross belongs to the type of monolithic cross on a shaft, the dominant form in Savoyard stone sculpture from the late 15th century. Carved from a tightly grained local limestone, typical of the Genevan quarries, it has a cylindrical or slightly chamfered shaft resting on a moulded base, a structural pattern that ensures both stability and slenderness. The cross - the intersection of the vertical upright and the transverse arms - is generally the preferred area for concentrated decoration by medieval sculptors. Contemporary Savoyard crosses often feature a Christ in relief or engraved on the front, sometimes accompanied by instruments of the Passion (spear, sponge, nails) on the arms, and a Virgin or patron saint on the reverse. The surface of the stone, patinated by more than five centuries of Alpine weathering, retains traces of this iconographic programme, even if the detail of the reliefs has been blurred by natural erosion. The proportions of the whole - total height probably between 1.50 and 2.50 metres - correspond to the standards of rural funerary crosses in the region, designed to be read at man's height by passers-by or pilgrims. The care taken with the carving of the shaft and the modelling of the base distinguishes this work from a simple boundary post: it is clearly a quality order, placed with an experienced stonemason from the Savoy artisan network, a network that is well documented in the towns of Haute-Savoie at this period.
Related Figures
Ducs de Savoie (commanditaires institutionnels du contexte dans lequel la croix fut érigée)Curés de la paroisse de Farlon (commanditaires probables ou intermédiaires pour la commande de la croix)Tailleur de pierre anonyme (artisan savoyard du XVe siècle, auteur de la sculpture)Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1906, auteurs de la décision de classement)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix de chemin en pierre provenant de l'ancien cimetiere de Farlon located?
Croix de chemin en pierre provenant de l'ancien cimetiere de Farlon is located in La Roche-sur-Foron, Département 74 department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France.
When was Croix de chemin en pierre provenant de l'ancien cimetiere de Farlon built?
Croix de chemin en pierre provenant de l'ancien cimetiere de Farlon dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix de chemin en pierre provenant de l'ancien cimetiere de Farlon open to visitors?
Croix de chemin en pierre provenant de l'ancien cimetiere de Farlon is currently closed to visitors.