Croix dite de la Bonne-Dame
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix dite de la Bonne-Dame, located in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire (Loiret), 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
- Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.8650, 2.2149
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098737
A 16th-century stone sentinel, the Bonne-Dame cross combines the volcanic austerity of Volvic with the fervour of Breton calvaries, featuring the Virgin and Child and Christ face to face in the heart of the Loire Valley.
© Wikimedia Commons / Wikipedia
History
Rounding a bend in a street in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, the cross known as the Bonne-Dame cross appears like an apparition from another century. Carved in dark, dense Volvic stone - Auvergne basalt renowned for its exceptional resistance to the elements - it features a dual iconography, both Marian and Christ-like, making it a monument to popular devotion that is out of the ordinary for the Centre-Val de Loire region. What immediately sets this cross apart from the religious landscape of the Loire is its resolutely Breton stylistic treatment. Far from the slender hosanna crosses or Romanesque calvaries that usually line the Loiret, it adopts the sculptural grammar of the great crosses of Brittany: bifacial compositions, figures in high relief treated with an almost archaic expressiveness, hieratic frontality of the figures. This artistic choice testifies to the intense cultural exchanges that were taking place in 16th-century France, a time when commissioners did not hesitate to call on models from faraway provinces. The visit is an experience of intimate contemplation. Take the time to walk around the monument: to the east, the Marian face features the Virgin holding the Infant Jesus in a warm, protective composition; to the west, the Christ on the Cross recalls the building's original purpose, a spiritual beacon planted in the urban landscape for passers-by and travellers. The base and shaft, rebuilt in Lavoux stone, soberly frame this ancient crowning glory. Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, a former royal residence on the banks of the river, provides the ideal historic backdrop for this listed cross. Just a stone's throw from the château's park, with its spectacular rhododendrons and large ponds, Bonne-Dame is a contemplative and rewarding stop-off in an area marked by several centuries of Capetian and royal history.
Architecture
The Bonne-Dame cross is made up of three distinct elements that reveal its material history: a modern base and shaft in Lavoux limestone - a luminous greyish-white - which support the original sculpted crown, carved in Volvic stone, recognisable by its dark, almost anthracite hue, characteristic of this volcanic rock from the Auvergne. It is this 16th-century coping that concentrates all the artistic interest of the monument. Designed on the model of Breton calvaries, it has two sides sculpted in high relief: the eastern side features the Virgin and Child in a tender, hieratic composition, while the western side shows Christ on the Cross, the central figure of Christian theology. This two-sided arrangement - Mary to the east, the rising sun and resurrection; Christ to the west, the setting sun and death - is not without symbolic significance in medieval and Renaissance religious art. The sculpture, with its frank volumes and sober expressiveness, bears witness to a certain mastery of craftsmanship, a far cry from the summary productions of popular artists: the drapery is elaborate, the faces expressive, the attitudes hieratic without being stiff.
Related Figures
Commanditaire anonyme du XVIe siècle (probablement notable ou institution religieuse de Châteauneuf-sur-Loire)Sculpteur anonyme de tradition bretonne (actif dans la région Centre-Val de Loire au XVIe siècle)Louis Phélypeaux de La Vrillière (propriétaire du château de Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, XVIIe siècle, figure dominante de la commune)Louis XIV (dont la cour fréquenta Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, contexte du renouveau artistique local)
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix dite de la Bonne-Dame located?
Croix dite de la Bonne-Dame is located in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Croix dite de la Bonne-Dame built?
Croix dite de la Bonne-Dame dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix dite de la Bonne-Dame open to visitors?
Croix dite de la Bonne-Dame is currently closed to visitors.