Croix du 18e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix du 18e siècle, located in Lannion (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
- Lannion, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.7268, -3.4137
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089281
Dressée au cœur du Trégor au XVIIIe siècle, cette croix de chemin lannionnaise conjugue piété populaire bretonne et sculpture sur granit, classée Monument Historique dès 1927.
History
As you stroll through the streets of Lannion, the crossroads of Brittany's Trégor region, this 18th-century wayside cross stands out like a stone landmark in the urban and rural landscape. Far from being a simple devotional marker, it embodies all the richness of Breton popular religious art, which is expressed not in the great cathedrals, but in the nooks and crannies of the roads, where travellers once sought divine protection before continuing their journey. The cross stands out for the quality of its workmanship in granite, the king material of inland and coastal Brittany, quarried locally in the Côtes-d'Armor region. Its slender silhouette, typical of crosses from the Trégor region in the Age of Enlightenment, combines robustness and sculptural finesse, with Christian and plant motifs treated with a care that betrays the hand of an experienced mason's workshop, probably active in the Lannion or Tréguier region. To visit this cross is to immerse yourself in the intimacy of the Breton popular faith, a collective devotion woven over centuries, far removed from royal pomp. Roadside crosses once structured the landscape like spiritual beacons, demarcating parishes, properties and procession routes. This one, listed as a Historic Monument in 1927, has benefited from early recognition as a heritage monument, underlining its exceptional interest among the multitude of crosses in Brittany. The setting in Lannion gives it added charm: the town, with the Léguer running through it and dominated by its medieval timber-framed houses, offers a coherent architectural setting. The cross fits in naturally, like a living fragment of a collective memory that refuses to fade away despite the centuries.
Architecture
The cross belongs to the large family of 18th-century Tregorian crosses, characterised by the almost exclusive use of local granite, whose silvery-grey hue takes on golden reflections under the Breton sun. It consists of a monolithic or dressed shaft set on a stepped base - a typical device used to raise the cross and facilitate devotions - topped by a crosspiece with ends carved into crosslets or adorned with schematic fleurons. The main face of the crosspiece features a Christ on the Cross sculpted in low relief, in the Breton tradition of expressive sobriety rather than anatomical realism. The reverse may feature a Marian representation or an Ecce Homo, a common practice in Trégor to double the meditative function of the work. The edges of the shaft are often chamfered and decorated with simple mouldings, bearing witness to the solid craftsmanship inherited from the tradition of the mason-sculptors who worked from Tréguier to Morlaix. The dimensions, in keeping with regional standards, allow the cross to stand out in the landscape without competing with the great monumental calvaries such as the one in Plougastel-Daoulas. Its elegance lies precisely in this balance: a strong presence, meticulous craftsmanship and harmonious integration into the urban and natural fabric of the Trégor area of Lannion.
Related Figures
Fabriciens de la paroisse de Lannion (XVIIIe siècle) — commanditaires présumés de la croixSculpteurs-maçons trégorrois anonymes — artisans du granit actifs dans la région de Lannion au XVIIIe siècleBienfaiteur local non identifié — donateur probable ayant financé l'érection de la croixInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1927) — responsables de l'inscription patrimoniale précoce de la croixCurés des paroisses lannionnaises (XVIIIe-XIXe siècle) — gardiens spirituels et matériels de la croix au fil des générations
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix du 18e siècle located?
Croix du 18e siècle is located in Lannion, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix du 18e siècle built?
Croix du 18e siècle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix du 18e siècle open to visitors?
Croix du 18e siècle is currently closed to visitors.
