Croix de chemin
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix de chemin, located in Montertelot (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
- Montertelot, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.8878, -2.4182
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091452
A sculpted jewel from the 16th century, this banner cross in Montertelot granite displays an iconographic programme of rare delicacy on both sides: Christ on the Cross, the Virgin and Child and mysterious donors.
History
At the bend in a country lane in Montertelot, in the heart of Morbihan, stands one of the crosses that have dotted the Breton landscape for centuries. But this is no ordinary cross: listed as a Historic Monument since 1927, it belongs to the great family of banner crosses, devotional monuments of which Brittany has some of the finest examples in the whole of France. Its slender silhouette of sculpted granite captures the Breton light with a particular intensity, revealing over the hours the depth of the relief carved by a 16th-century craftsman. What makes this building truly unique is the wealth of iconography on both sides of the shaft. Where so many rural crosses are content with a single representation, the one at Montertelot offers a veritable stone diptych: on one side, the scene of the Crucifixion in all its tragic solemnity, and on the other, a Virgin and Child with a gentle medieval touch, flanked by portraits of donors - the anonymous sponsors whose faith financed and perpetuated the monument right up to the present day. The experience of visiting the church is intimate and contemplative. You approach it along a gravel path, as generations of pilgrims and farmers have done, and discover the cross in its natural environment, without barriers or artificial displays. It is this direct contact with the rough stone, scratched by the centuries and gilded with lichen, that captivates visitors. Lovers of medieval and Renaissance sculpture will find it an invaluable reminder of the granite-cutting workshops that flourished in inland Brittany in the time of the Dukes. The surrounding countryside - Morbihan bocage, hedgerows and the silence of the countryside - adds to the magic of the place. Montertelot is one of those villages where time seems to stand still, and the cross is its immutable guardian. For the photographer, the low-angled light of the morning or the golden hues of late afternoon sublimate the granite and reveal the grain and detail of the sculptures with incomparable acuity.
Architecture
The Montertelot cross is of the so-called "banner cross" type, characterised by an elongated shaft surmounted by a crosspiece whose arms end in widened ends, evoking the shape of a stone processional banner. Carved entirely from local granite, a material that is ubiquitous in Breton sculpture, it has the bluish-grey hue characteristic of Morbihan quarries, now with the patina of centuries and adorned with ochre and green lichens that add to its character. The front side features a classic tripartite composition: in the centre, the crucified Christ in an attitude of serene abandon, flanked by the Virgin Mary to his right and Saint John the Evangelist to his left. This Passion trinity, inherited from medieval iconography, is treated with remarkable attention to detail despite the apparent coarseness of the material. The draping of the garments, the expressions on the faces and the attitudes of the bodies bear witness to a real mastery of technique, characteristic of Breton workshops of the Renaissance. On the back, the Virgin and Child in majesty is flanked by two kneeling donors. This symmetrical arrangement - typical of votive art of the period - establishes a formal dialogue between the mortal benefactors and the divine figure they venerate. The depiction of the donors in period dress is also a valuable document of costume and social status in inland Brittany in the 16th century.
Related Figures
Donateurs anonymes du XVIe siècle — commanditaires de la croix, représentés agenouillés sur la face postérieureProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, pionnier de la protection du patrimoine bretonArtisan sculpteur breton anonyme du XVIe siècle — auteur probable de la taille de la croixÉvêques de Vannes du XVIe siècle — autorité religieuse sous laquelle fut érigée la croix dans le diocèse morbihannais
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix de chemin located?
Croix de chemin is located in Montertelot, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix de chemin built?
Croix de chemin dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix de chemin open to visitors?
Croix de chemin is currently closed to visitors.