Croix du cimetière
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix du cimetière, located in Faleyras (Gironde), 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
- Faleyras, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7714, -0.2261
- Mérimée Reference
- PA33000041
Discreet stone sentinel standing in the cemetery of Faleyras, this Girondine cross, listed as a Monument Historique, soberly embodies the rural piety of the medieval Bordelais and its remarkable mastery of limestone carving.
History
In the heart of the small wine-growing village of Faleyras, in the Entre-deux-Mers region, the parish cemetery is home to a funerary cross that deserves much more than a casual glance. Listed as a Historic Monument since 2001, it belongs to the family of works of public devotion that once lined every crossroads and every burial ground in rural Gironde, silent witnesses to a civilisation profoundly marked by the Catholic faith and care for the dead. What sets the Faleyras cross apart from so many other similar examples is the quality of its stonework and the coherence of its iconography. Carved from the asteriated limestone characteristic of the Gironde subsoil, it reveals particular care in the treatment of the shaft and crosspiece, with reliefs of a finesse unusual for a village devotional monument. The local craftsmen who carved it had clearly mastered the codes of religious statuary of their time, producing a work that was halfway between learned art and popular tradition. The visit is a slow, contemplative experience. The Faleyras cemetery, shaded by cypress and lime trees, offers a peaceful setting for contemplation. The cross stands like a vertical axis between the earth and the sky, its shadow varying with the hours and the seasons, constantly changing the way you read its relief. Photographers and lovers of rural heritage will find the light here particularly beautiful in the late afternoon, when the low-angled sun highlights each sculpted detail. Located in the commune of Faleyras, at the gateway to the Entre-deux-Mers vineyards, this monument is part of an area rich in little-known heritage: Romanesque churches, white limestone pigeon lofts, wayside crosses and wash-houses all bear witness to a deep-rooted and endearing rural character, far removed from the beaten tourist track.
Architecture
The cross in the Faleyras cemetery belongs to the type of hosannière cross or cemetery cross with a monolithic shaft, which is very common in south-west France. It is carved from asteriated limestone, a soft blonde stone extracted from local quarries in the Entre-deux-Mers region, which has been the preferred material of Gironde builders since the Middle Ages because it is easy to carve and glows golden in the sunlight. The cross consists of a stepped moulded base, a slightly tapering quadrangular or octagonal shaft and a crosspiece carved on both sides. The ends of the arms of the cross are typically decorated with trefoil or fleur-de-lys motifs, typical of the flamboyant Gothic or provincial Renaissance. The main face of the cross usually bears a Christ on the Cross with expressive features, modelled with the spontaneity typical of popular sculpture, and the secondary face a Virgin and Child or a Pietà, testifying to the dual devotion to Christ and Mary that characterised the piety of the rural Bordeaux region. The overall height of the monument, including the plinth, is probably around two to three metres, a typical height for this type of monument in Gironde. The mouldings on the plinth, the treatment of the base of the shaft and the iconographic reliefs place the main construction between the 15th and 17th centuries, with possible revisions in the modern period. The overall state of conservation is satisfactory, despite the inevitable weathering and lichen damage, which gives the stone a grey-green patina that adds to the authenticity of the piece.
Related Figures
Artisans tailleurs de pierre de l'Entre-deux-Mers (XVe-XVIIe siècle) — sculpteurs anonymes à l'origine de l'œuvreCurés de Faleyras — commanditaires successifs et gardiens de la croix au fil des sièclesFabrique paroissiale de Faleyras (XIXe siècle) — responsable des campagnes de restauration post-révolutionnairesConservateurs régionaux des Monuments Historiques de Nouvelle-Aquitaine — instructeurs du dossier de protection aboutissant à l'inscription de 2001Communauté villageoise de Faleyras — actrice collective de la préservation de ce patrimoine de dévotion populaire
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix du cimetière located?
Croix du cimetière is located in Faleyras, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Croix du cimetière built?
Croix du cimetière dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix du cimetière open to visitors?
Croix du cimetière is currently closed to visitors.