Croix de chemin
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix de chemin, located in Plouzélambre (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
- Plouzélambre, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6479, -3.5239
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089521
Dressée au carrefour des chemins creux de Plouzélambre, cette croix de chemin bretonne du XVIIIe siècle incarne la ferveur populaire en granite brut, sentinelle silencieuse des campagnes du Trégor.
History
In the heart of deepest Trégor, in the commune of Plouzélambre, a wayside cross stands with the haughty discretion that characterises these monuments to popular Breton piety. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1927, it bears witness to a centuries-old tradition that has made Brittany the densest region in Europe for calvaries and votive crosses. Far from the great monumental calvaries of Guimiliau or Pleyben, this cross belongs to the more intimate category of crossroads crosses, designed to mark dangerous crossroads, protect travellers and mark the daily devotion of rural parishes. Carved from the grey-blue granite characteristic of the Trégor quarries, the cross displays the austere robustness typical of 18th-century Armorican craftsmanship. Local sculptors, often anonymous, mastered the art of drawing striking expression from the most sober of stones: the Christ on the cross, the tapering shaft and the trapezoidal step are all recognisable elements of a formal vocabulary handed down from generation to generation since the Middle Ages. A visit to this cross is an invitation to take a stroll through the sunken lanes and hedged farmland that surround Plouzélambre, a discreet village in the Côtes-d'Armor nestling between the Léguer valley and the heights of the inland Trégor region. The unspoilt rural setting offers a first-rate backdrop of vegetation, with moorland, twisted oaks and foxglove embankments framing the monument with natural grace. This type of monument cannot be seen in isolation: it is part of a network of crosses that still line the roads and paths of the commune, forming a veritable open-air route of remembrance. To linger in front of this cross is to experience at first hand a peasant spirituality rooted in the land, far removed from the splendour of the great Gothic cathedrals, but just as deeply rooted in Breton identity.
Architecture
The Plouzélambre wayside cross is part of the great tradition of rural crosses in the Trégor region, carved from fine-grained local granite, a material that is ubiquitous in Armorican buildings, giving the monuments their characteristic grey-blue hue and exceptional resistance to the elements. The monument follows the classic layout of 18th-century Breton wayside crosses: a square or trapezoidal stepped step forming the base, a moulded pedestal base on which the cylindrical or quadrangular shaft rests, and finally the cross bearing the representation of Christ on the Cross. The reverse of the cross often features an image of the Virgin Mary or a patron saint, in a style that is very common in the Trégor region. The sober, direct style of the sculpture betrays the hand of a local craftsman rather than a renowned master sculptor. The features of Christ's face, the draping of the perizonium and the rendering of the limbs reveal the blend of technical skill and expressive naivety that is so charming about Breton folk statuary. The slightly squat proportions of the shaft, the geometric mouldings on the base and the Latin cross with its slightly open ends make up an ensemble of great formal coherence, typical of regional production in the second half of the 18th century.
Related Figures
Tailleurs de pierre anonymes du Trégor, artisans locaux façonnant les croix de chemin bretonnes au XVIIIe siècleCurés de Plouzélambre, commanditaires présumés de la croix pour le compte de la fabrique paroissialeMissionnaires jésuites et capucins, acteurs du renouveau dévotionnel breton au XVIIIe siècle stimulant l'érection de croixConservateurs des Monuments Historiques des Côtes-du-Nord, artisans de l'inscription protectrice de 1927Paysans de Plouzélambre ayant préservé la croix lors des destructions révolutionnaires de 1793-1800
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix de chemin located?
Croix de chemin is located in Plouzélambre, Département 22 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.
