Croix du nouveau cimetière
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix du nouveau cimetière, located in Saint-Etienne-du-Gué-de-l'Isle (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
- Saint-Etienne-du-Gué-de-l'Isle, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1049, -2.6456
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089613
Erected in the 16th century, this Breton cemetery cross fascinates with its high-relief sculptures: a Christ on the cross on one side, a Virgin and Child on the other, supported by a circular shaft with soberly carved facets.
History
In the heart of the commune of Saint-Étienne-du-Gué-de-l'Isle, in the Côtes-d'Armor department, the cross of the new cemetery is one of those discreet monuments that condense all the fervour and sculptural expertise of Renaissance Brittany into a few dozen centimetres of stone. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1970, it is a rare example of 16th-century parish funerary art in inland Armorique. What makes this cross unique is the balance between the rigour of its architectural forms and the density of its narrative relief. The pointed-ended cross bears on one side a Christ on the Cross surrounded by figures - probably the Virgin Mary and Saint John, according to the tradition of Breton cross crosses - and on the opposite side a Virgin Mary with Child, also accompanied, thus doubling the usual iconographic programme of cemetery crosses. This dialogue between the two mysteries, the Passion and the Nativity, creates a visual meditation on death and resurrection that is particularly well-suited to funerary spaces. A visit to this cross invites slow, attentive contemplation. The patina of the stone, carved from local granite, bears the marks of time and the Breton seasons, giving the faces and drapery an expressiveness that only centuries can bestow. Visitors should take the time to walk around the monument to discover the two compositions in the round and in flat relief, and to linger over the canted base, a testament to the care that has gone into even the most humble details. Situated in the parish cemetery, the cross enjoys a calm and peaceful setting, typical of the rural villages of central Brittany. Around it, the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Gué-de-l'Isle and the hedged farmland of the Côtes-d'Armor make up an environment of great authenticity, far from the tourist flow, conducive to the discovery of an intimate heritage deeply rooted in Breton culture.
Architecture
The cross in the new cemetery at Saint-Étienne-du-Gué-de-l'Isle is made up of three distinct elements in the tradition of 16th-century Breton crosses: a base carved with canted or cut angles, a shaft with a circular cross-section, and a crosspiece with a pointed end bearing sculpted reliefs. The base with the corners removed, i.e. with the sharp edges chamfered, is a sign of care and quality of execution. This formal solution, common in Breton Renaissance workshops, visually lightens the base while giving it a more elaborate geometry than the simple cube. The circular shaft, smooth or slightly moulded, provides the transition between the base and the crosspiece, in a coherent and balanced architectural vocabulary. The pointed crosspiece - with the ends of the arms ending in an ogive or point - is the stylistic signature of this object, halfway between the late Gothic and the new formal trends of the Renaissance. The two sides are carved in high relief, with Christ on the Cross flanked by figures (most likely the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist), and the Virgin and Child surrounded by secondary figures. These compositions with multiple figures bear witness to an ambitious iconographic programme for a monument in a parish cemetery. The material used is Breton granite, a noble and resistant stone characteristic of architecture and sculpture in Armorique.
Related Figures
Artisan local inconnu — sculpteur breton du XVIe siècle, auteur présumé des reliefsClergé paroissial de Saint-Étienne-du-Gué-de-l'Isle — commanditaires probables de la croixVicomtes de Rohan — seigneurs dominants du territoire au XVIe siècle, mécènes indirects de l'art religieux localInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1970) — acteurs de la reconnaissance patrimoniale officielle de la croix
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix du nouveau cimetière located?
Croix du nouveau cimetière is located in Saint-Etienne-du-Gué-de-l'Isle, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix du nouveau cimetière built?
Croix du nouveau cimetière dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix du nouveau cimetière open to visitors?
Croix du nouveau cimetière is currently closed to visitors.