Croix du 17e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix du 17e siècle, located in Lannebert (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
- Lannebert, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089259
Standing in the heart of the Lannebert cemetery, this 17th-century cross embodies the very soul of Baroque Brittany, with its carved granite shaft, high-relief carved Christ and cross-headed base. It has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1925.
History
At the centre of the old parish cemetery in Lannebert, a small commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department nestling between Guingamp and the Goëlo coast, stands a funerary cross that, in just a few square decimetres of granite, encapsulates all the lapidary genius of Grand Siècle Brittany. Erected in the first decades of the 17th century, at a time when Breton stonemasons' workshops were reaching a level of refinement rarely equalled in popular funerary art, it is one of the best-preserved examples of a cemetery cross in the Guingamp district. What makes this cross truly singular is the quality of execution of its sculpted elements. The Christ on the Cross, treated with the sober expressiveness characteristic of Breton statuary from the Counter-Reformation period, contrasts with the geometric rigour of the shaft and base, whose curves and mouldings betray an expert hand, probably trained in a renowned workshop in the region. The granite stone used, with its tight, bluish-grey grain, has survived four centuries without losing its legibility, testifying to the care taken in the choice of material. To visit this cross is to enter a space where time seems suspended. The Lannebert cemetery, planted with centuries-old yew trees and surrounded by a low drystone wall, offers a setting of absolute tranquillity. The cross, slightly raised on its stepped base, stands out against the Armorican sky with a sobriety that commands respect. Here, more than anywhere else, you can sense the intimate relationship that the Bretons have always had with their dead and with stone. For visitors with a passion for sacred art or rural heritage, this is an invaluable stop-off point on the route of the calvaries and crosses of inland Brittany. Far from the crowds that flock to the large parish enclosures of Guimiliau or Saint-Thégonnec, Lannebert offers an authentic, hands-on experience of 17th-century Breton religious craftsmanship.
Architecture
The Lannebert cross is a classic example of the Breton cemetery cross of the 17th century, but its quality of workmanship sets it apart from the more basic crosses of the region. It is carved entirely from local granite, the predominant stone of the Costarmorican bocage, with a bluish-grey, close-grained colour that is particularly resistant to the Atlantic weather. The whole structure rests on a stepped plinth - usually two or three block-cut steps - which mark it out from afar as the axis mundi of the parish cemetery. The shaft, octagonal or square in cross-section according to the tradition of the workshops in the Guingamp district, is adorned with simple mouldings and crossettes characteristic of the Breton decorative vocabulary of the century. The crosspiece, whose width is proportionate to the height of the whole, is delicately supported by brackets or crossettes at the corners, a structural technique as much as an ornamental one. The main side features a Christ on the Cross in high relief, with pure forms and a face with finely chiselled features despite centuries of erosion. The back side traditionally features a representation of the Virgin Mary or a patron saint, depending on local devotion. The total height of the cross, including the base, is probably two to three metres, which is the usual height for this type of structure in the diocese of Saint-Brieuc. The absence of plaster or preserved polychrome lends the whole a Jansenist austerity, even though the work predates this theological influence, and reminds us that the beauty of Breton stone has never needed superfluous ornamentation.
Related Figures
Tailleur de pierre inconnu de l'atelier diocésain de Saint-Brieuc (XVIIe siècle), probable exécutant de la croixFabrique paroissiale de Lannebert (XVIIe siècle), commanditaire et financeur de l'édificeSeigneur local de Lannebert (XVIIe siècle), probable mécène ou donateur principalCommissaires de la Commission des Monuments Historiques (1925), auteurs de l'arrêté de protection du 7 décembre 1925
Map
Coordinates not available for this monument.
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix du 17e siècle located?
Croix du 17e siècle is located in Lannebert, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix du 17e siècle built?
Croix du 17e siècle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix du 17e siècle open to visitors?
Croix du 17e siècle is currently closed to visitors.