Croix du 18e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix du 18e siècle, located in Plouha (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
- Plouha, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6821, -2.9645
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089490
Erected in the 18th century on the roads to Plouha, this Breton granite cross embodies the popular fervour of Brittany, with its meticulous statuary typical of rural sacred art in the Côtes-d'Armor region.
History
At the bend in a sunken lane in Plouha, in this Breton region where stone and faith have been intertwined for centuries, stands a wayside cross that has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1928. Discreet but full of meaning, it belongs to the dense network of calvaries and crosses that have criss-crossed the Armorican countryside, marking out processional routes, crossroads and places of passage since the Middle Ages. What sets this cross apart from simple devotional markers is the quality of its workmanship. Carved from local granite - the bluish grey rock that Breton quarrymen mastered with remarkable precision - it displays the formal characteristics of 18th-century Brittany: a slender shaft resting on a moulded base, crowned by a cross bearing a carefully crafted Christ in bas-relief. The grey patina imparted by three centuries of rain and Atlantic winds gives it a visual depth that no restoration can match. The experience of visiting the crosses is first and foremost that of plunging into the everyday life of deepest Brittany. These crosses were more than mere ornaments: they punctuated the life of parishes, served as assembly points for Rogation processions, symbolically protected travellers and marked the limits of sacred territory. To stop in front of them is to reconnect with a spiritual geography that is now largely forgotten. Plouha's natural setting amplifies this emotion. A commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department perched on the highest cliffs in Brittany - and among the highest in France - Plouha offers a backdrop of hedged farmland and moorland that gives this cross its full significance in an unspoilt landscape. Lovers of rural heritage, photographers in search of winter lights on Breton granite and walkers on the local footpaths will all find it a soberly elegant subject.
Architecture
The cross is in the classic tradition of 18th-century Breton wayside crosses, characterised by a sober elevation and sculpture concentrated on the crossbeam. Carved from Côtes-d'Armor granite - a hard, bluish-grey rock extracted from local quarries and ideally suited to carving in damp conditions - it rests on a quadrangular base with stepped mouldings, which itself rests on a buried base to ensure stability in Breton soil that is subject to freeze-thaw cycles. The shaft, octagonal or quadrangular in cross-section according to regional tradition, is slightly curved, reminiscent of the work produced in workshops on the Crozon peninsula or in the Trégor region. It supports a cross with slightly flared arms, on which is carved in bas-relief a Christ on the Cross in a style typical of the Breton religious vocabulary of the Age of Enlightenment: stylised but expressive anatomy, carefully pleated perizonium, face tilted downwards in the traditional Passion pose. The reverse of the crosspiece probably bears a representation of the Virgin Mary or a local patron saint, in accordance with custom in the parishes of the diocese of Saint-Brieuc. The overall height of the cross is probably between two and three metres, typical of crossroads crosses designed to be visible from the road but not as high as the large parish calvaries. The natural patina of the granite, enriched with moss and golden lichen, is an aesthetic feature in its own right that restorers respect by avoiding aggressive cleaning.
Related Figures
Prosper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, pionnier de l'inventaire du patrimoine breton (1836)Sculpteur anonyme breton du XVIIIe siècle — tailleur de pierre local auteur du croisillon sculptéAbbé de la paroisse de Plouha (XVIIIe s.) — commanditaire probable de l'érection de la croixÉdouard Corroyer — architecte des Monuments Historiques actif en Bretagne au XIXe siècle, contributeur à la politique de protection du petit patrimoineCommunauté paroissiale de Plouha — gardienne collective du monument à travers les siècles
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix du 18e siècle located?
Croix du 18e siècle is located in Plouha, 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.
