Croix du 16e siècle située près de la chapelle du Rohic
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix du 16e siècle située près de la chapelle du Rohic, located in Vannes (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
- Vannes, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6641, -2.7175
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091780
Erected in the 16th century near the Rohic chapel in Vannes, this four-metre granite banner cross features a remarkable iconography: Crucifixion, Pietà and Saint-Michel sculpted with a rare Breton expressiveness.
History
Standing on its four stone steps like a mineral sentinel at the gateway to old Vannes, the Rohic cross belongs to that singular family of banner crosses that dot deepest Brittany. Four metres high above its tiers, it imposes a silent presence that the centuries have not diminished. Its inclusion on the Monuments Historiques list in 1929 bears witness to the long-established heritage value of this popular devotional work. What really sets the Rohic cross apart from the many monumental crosses in Morbihan is the iconographic density of its upper panel. There are two main sides: the classic Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John on one side, and a moving Pietà on the other. Two additional figures appear on the sides, including Saint Michael, the warrior archangel so dear to Breton piety. This multiplicity of scenes in such a confined space reveals the narrative ambition of the commissioner and the skill of the 16th-century stonemason from Vannes. A visit to the cross is a natural extension to a visit to the Rohic district and its adjoining chapel, which together form a spiritual microlandscape characteristic of the suburbs of the former episcopal city. Take the time to walk slowly around the octagonal shaft, to decipher the Gothic brackets framing the main scenes, to read the traces of the medieval chisel in the grey granite stone. The contrast between the robustness of the material and the delicacy of the sculpted figures is striking. The surrounding area retains something of the restrained atmosphere of the old suburban villages. Vannes, a town of art and history with remarkable ramparts, offers all the contrasts of a lively medieval city just a stone's throw away. The Rohic cross is an unexpected stopover, one of those modest but intense monuments that make up the richness of Brittany's heritage off the beaten tourist track.
Architecture
The Rohic cross is carved entirely from the characteristic grey granite of Morbihan, a noble and durable material that goes some way to explaining the remarkable conservation of its volumes after five centuries of exposure to the elements. The whole structure rests on a four-step staircase surmounted by an altar-shaped base, an arrangement that gives the cross a liturgical majesty reminiscent of the open-air altars of the Middle Ages. The quadrangular base, sober and devoid of sculpture, forms the transition between the base and the shaft. The octagonal shaft is one of the cross's most interesting architectural features. The eight-sided section, common in 16th-century Breton sculpture, visually lightens the support while giving it a rare geometric lightness. It is crowned by a capital that joins the upper panel - a cube-shaped element ending in a regular rectangle, framed by Gothic braces on its two main sides. These braces, an ornamental motif inherited from flamboyant architecture, form stylised pointed arches that highlight the sculpted scenes of the Crucifixion and the Pietà. The total height of four metres above the tiers of steps places the cross in the category of large monuments for this type of work, affirming a desire for visibility and ostentation clearly assumed by its commissioners.
Related Figures
Artisan tailleur de pierre vannetais du XVIe siècle (auteur anonyme des sculptures)Saint Michel, archange représenté sur l'un des petits côtés du tableauLa Vierge Marie, figurée dans la scène de Crucifixion et dans la PietàSaint Jean l'Évangéliste, présent aux côtés du Christ crucifiéCommanditaires anonymes de la confrérie ou paroisse du Rohic au XVIe siècle
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix du 16e siècle située près de la chapelle du Rohic located?
Croix du 16e siècle située près de la chapelle du Rohic is located in Vannes, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix du 16e siècle située près de la chapelle du Rohic built?
Croix du 16e siècle située près de la chapelle du Rohic dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix du 16e siècle située près de la chapelle du Rohic open to visitors?
Croix du 16e siècle située près de la chapelle du Rohic is currently closed to visitors.
