Croix du 15e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix du 15e siècle, located in Saint-Grégoire (Département 35), 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
- Saint-Grégoire, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1533, -1.6815
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090784
Standing in the heart of Saint-Grégoire since the 15th century, this Breton granite cemetery cross is striking for its octagonal shaft and its Christ set in a sober Gothic trilobal decoration.
History
In the heart of the old cemetery of Saint-Grégoire, a few kilometres north of Rennes, a granite cross has stood guard for more than five centuries over successive generations in a commune that was rural for a long time before being absorbed into the Rennes urban area. Discreet but striking, this 15th-century cross is one of the few medieval remains in the commune, and as such is an irreplaceable witness to Breton popular faith at the end of the Middle Ages. What immediately sets this cemetery cross apart is the subtlety of its composition. The Christ on the Cross is not simply carved on the crosspiece: it is literally set in a frame formed by two opposing trilobes, a Gothic motif of great elegance that transforms the support into a small stone window, an oculus of light and devotion. The care taken with the ornamentation betrays the hand of a skilled stonemason, probably from a workshop in the Rennes or Malou region. The visitor's experience is one of meditation and patient discovery. Visitors stop, turn around the octagonal shaft, and observe how the low-angled morning or evening light brings out the edges of the stone and the relief of Christ. The square truncated-pyramid base, with its upper corners cut away, gives the whole piece a quiet, almost monumental solidity despite its modest proportions. The setting of the Saint-Grégoire cemetery, surrounded by greenery and imbued with the silence typical of places of remembrance, further enhances this heritage object. Far from the tourist crowds that flock to the great cathedrals and châteaux of the Loire, the cross at Saint-Grégoire offers the curious visitor an intimate and authentic encounter with the Middle Ages in Brittany, in an unspoilt and moving setting.
Architecture
The Saint-Grégoire cemetery cross is carved entirely from granite, a stone emblematic of Breton architecture for its resistance to the elements and its availability from Armorican quarries. The whole structure rests on a base made up of two superimposed elements: a flat step at ground level, then a plinth formed from a square truncated pyramid whose four upper corners are bevelled, a detail that visually lightens the mass of the support and testifies to the care taken in the composition. On this base rises an octagonal shaft, a recurring shape in 15th-century Breton crosses, which multiplies the visible faces and gives the silhouette a geometric elegance characteristic of late Gothic. The crosspiece is the artistic focal point of the cross. The crucified Christ is depicted in a frame formed by two opposing trilobes, one towards the top, the other towards the bottom of the cross, creating an almond or diamond-shaped motif reminiscent of the vesica piscis of medieval iconography. This decorative treatment, which is relatively sophisticated for a rural cemetery cross, brings this object closer to the products of the urban workshops or monastic sites of medieval Brittany. The ornamentation is consistent with the flamboyant Gothic style, while retaining the sobriety typical of funerary crosses intended for everyday devotional use.
Related Figures
Artisan tailleur de pierre breton anonyme (XVe siècle) — sculpteur présumé de la croixDonateur paroissial anonyme (XVe siècle) — commanditaire probable de l'œuvreDucs de Bretagne de la maison de Montfort — souverains du duché au moment de la constructionFonctionnaires des Monuments Historiques (1946) — auteurs de la décision d'inscription patrimoniale
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix du 15e siècle located?
Croix du 15e siècle is located in Saint-Grégoire, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix du 15e siècle built?
Croix du 15e siècle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix du 15e siècle open to visitors?
Croix du 15e siècle is currently closed to visitors.
