Croix Macquerel
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix Macquerel, located in Evran (Département 22), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Evran, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3922, -1.9752
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089148
Standing in the heart of the Dinan region since the 14th century, the Macquerel Cross is a rare example of Breton medieval piety, carved in granite with a sobriety characteristic of rural Gothic art.
History
At a bend in the road in the commune of Evran, on the outskirts of the Dinan region, the Macquerel Cross rises up out of the Breton landscape like a stone vigil. Listed as a Monument Historique since 1964, this monumental 14th-century cross is part of the discreet but essential corpus of Brittany's rural heritage, whose crossroads and devotional crosses have punctuated the lives of parishes and pilgrims for centuries. What sets the Macquerel Cross apart from the countless calvaries and crosses dotting the Breton countryside is the quality of its sculpted decoration and the remarkable integrity of its medieval craftsmanship. Carved from local granite - the rugged yet unchanging rock that defines Brittany's architectural identity - it displays the usual attributes of crosses from this period: a slender shaft, a crosspiece with slightly flared ends, and probably a figure of Christ on the Cross whose features, softened by seven centuries of weathering, retain a striking dignity. The experience of visiting is one of silent contemplation. The Macquerel Cross is not a spectacular monument in the tourist sense of the term: it is a living fragment of deep-rooted Brittany, where popular faith has taken shape in weathered granite. To stop here is to reconnect with the spiritual geography of the Middle Ages, when every cross along the way was a milestone, an oratory and a memorial. The surrounding countryside - the hedgerows, moors and gently rolling horizons of the Côtes-d'Armor region - reinforces the intimate, authentic character of this monument. There are no crowds or staging here: the Macquerel Cross can be discovered in the calm typical of treasures that are not sought but found, and that leave a lasting impression.
Architecture
The Macquerel Cross is representative of 14th-century Breton Gothic monumental crosses, whose style is characterised by an economy of means at the service of intense spiritual expression. Carved from grey granite from the Côtes-d'Armor region - a material that is omnipresent in the region's medieval architecture - it stands on a pedestal with raised steps, in the typical manner that allowed devotees to kneel and make offerings. The shaft of the cross, which may be polygonal or cylindrical in cross-section, depending on the custom of the time, rises towards a cross-brace with plainly moulded arms, the ends of which may have slight escutcheon-like flares, a recurring motif in Breton Gothic sculpture. The main face of the cross is adorned with a Christ on the Cross sculpted in bas-relief, whose treatment - elongated body, stylised perizonium folds, pronounced crown of thorns - reflects the aesthetic of the late Radiant Gothic period, in the tradition of the sculpting workshops that worked for the parishes of the Saint-Malo diocese. The age-old patina of the granite, which takes on hues ranging from pearl-grey to lichen-green depending on exposure, lends the piece a mineral presence of great beauty. The dimensions of the cross, modest on the scale of a parish calvary but imposing for a wayside cross, are in keeping with the tradition of monuments intended to be visible from afar in the open countryside, while retaining a human scale conducive to individual devotion.
Related Figures
Famille Macquerel — commanditaires présumés de la croix au XIVe siècle, dont le nom a perpétué la mémoire à travers les sièclesJean IV de Bretagne (1339-1399) — duc de Bretagne sous le règne duquel la croix fut vraisemblablement érigée, à l'issue de la guerre de SuccessionÉvêques de Saint-Malo — diocèse dont relevait la paroisse d'Evran et dont l'autorité religieuse encadrait l'érection de monuments de dévotionArtisans tailleurs de pierre dinanais — corps de métier qui fournissait en granit sculpté les paroisses du pays de Dinan au XIVe siècle
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix Macquerel located?
Croix Macquerel is located in Evran, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix Macquerel built?
Croix Macquerel dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Croix Macquerel open to visitors?
Croix Macquerel is currently closed to visitors.