Croix de la Mettrie
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix de la Mettrie, located in Saint-Juvat (Département 22), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Saint-Juvat, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3625, -2.0448
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089638
A 14th-century stone sentinel, the Croix de la Mettrie in Saint-Juvat is a rare medieval cross of justice decorated with a seigneurial coat of arms and chamfered balls, a poignant vestige of Breton feudal power.
History
Standing in the Breton countryside of Saint-Juvat, in the Côtes-d'Armor region, the Croix de la Mettrie is one of those discreet monuments that encapsulate several centuries of social and legal history. Sober and austere, it stands out not for its height but for the density of its past: a medieval cross of justice, it once marked the area where the law of the lord was exercised with all its symbolic and practical rigour. What immediately distinguishes this cross from ordinary Breton calvaries is the function it embodied: not pious, popular devotion, but judicial and seigneurial authority. Its sculpted coat of arms is a reminder that the lord of the manor had the right of high justice, i.e. the power to condemn to death. The sword depicted on the shaft is not a liturgical symbol, but the insignia of this delegated regal right. The experience of the visit is that of an intimate confrontation with the Breton Middle Ages in its crudest reality. Far removed from museum reconstructions, the cross still stands in its rural setting, probably close to the original site where the gallows would have stood. To observe its chamfers adorned with little balls, to caress its geometric edges with your gaze, is to touch a vanished world. The leafy setting of Saint-Juvat, a quiet village in the heart of inland Brittany, reinforces this feeling of unspoilt discovery. There are no crowds or souvenir shops here: just the stone, the Breton sky and the silence that lends itself to historical meditation. An ideal stop-off point for those travelling through the region in search of authentic heritage off the beaten track.
Architecture
The La Mettrie Cross is typical of Breton monumental crosses from the 14th century, combining formal sobriety with measured decorative refinement. Its shaft is rectangular in cross-section, a geometric choice that contrasts with the cylindrical or poly-lobed sections of other crosses from the same period, giving the whole an angular, almost austere presence. The chamfer technique - oblique cutting of the sharp edges - softens this rigour while visually structuring the shaft. These chamfers are adorned with small, evenly-spaced balls, a common decorative motif in medieval Breton sculpture, which adds rhythm and lightness to the composition without betraying its symbolic gravity. This simple but meticulous ornamental vocabulary testifies to the skills of local stonemasons, who were probably familiar with the region's religious building sites. The sculptural programme also includes the lord's coat of arms and the sword of justice, iconographic elements integrated into the body of the cross in a hierarchical arrangement that places noble legitimacy at the heart of the visual message. The material used, a local granite typical of the Côtes-d'Armor region, ensured that the building would endure for as long as the authority it symbolised, and goes a long way to explaining its excellent relative preservation after nearly seven centuries.
Related Figures
Seigneur de la Mettrie (XIVe siècle) — détenteur présumé du droit de haute justice, commanditaire probable de la croixDucs de Bretagne (XIVe siècle) — autorité suzeraine sous laquelle s'organisait la justice seigneuriale bretonneInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (années 1920) — artisans de la redécouverte et de la protection officielle du monument en 1926
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix de la Mettrie located?
Croix de la Mettrie is located in Saint-Juvat, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix de la Mettrie built?
Croix de la Mettrie dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Croix de la Mettrie open to visitors?
Croix de la Mettrie is currently closed to visitors.