Croix
MonumentHidden Treasure
Croix, located in Monterrein (Département 56), 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
- Monterrein, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.8802, -2.3612
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091450
In the heart of Morbihan, this 17th-century schist cross is a work of rare finesse: Christ's monogram, chalices and heart chiselled into the dark Haute-Touche stone.
History
Nestling on the path leading to the chapel of Haute-Touche, in Monterrein, this modest wayside cross conceals a wealth of iconography that surprises anyone who takes the time to linger over it. Far from the splendour of Gothic cathedrals, it embodies a form of Breton popular piety, intimate and deeply sincere, engraved in the black stone of the land. What immediately sets this cross apart is its unique manufacturing technique: two slabs of schist carefully assembled together form a single body, creating a slight thickness that gives it an unexpected physical presence for such a small work. Its pattéed arms - widening towards their extremities in the tradition of classical religious crosses - reinforce its visual balance and solemn character. The engravings on its sides are a condensed symbolic programme: the monogram IHS, the Latin abbreviation of Christ's name adopted by the Jesuits, stands alongside two chalices evoking the Eucharist, a heart symbolising divine charity, and two nails recalling the Passion. This iconography, typical of the 17th century, reflects the influence of the Catholic Counter-Reformation in rural Brittany, where the Church sought to rekindle popular fervour through symbols that were accessible to all. The experience of visiting the chapel is one of walking along the rural path to the chapel, as generations of farmers have done before us, and discovering this marker of faith standing at the side of the road. The low-angled morning or late afternoon light reveals the relief carved into the dark schist with particular clarity, bringing out every detail of the composition. For the attentive photographer, this is a work of art that must be earned and contemplated slowly. Listed as a Monument Historique since 1927, this cross bears witness to the State's early recognition of the heritage of Breton rural crosses, long regarded as mere devotional objects, even though they constitute one of the richest bodies of French folk art.
Architecture
The shape of the cross is known as "arms pattés", meaning that the four arms taper slightly towards their ends, forming slightly flared points. This type of cross, common in European heraldry and religious art since the Middle Ages, gives the whole a recognisable, balanced silhouette, halfway between the Greek cross with equal arms and the elongated Latin cross. The major technical feature of this work lies in the way it is made: it is made from two slabs of schist applied one against the other. This method, dictated by the constraints of the material - schist is naturally cut into sheets - makes it possible to obtain a cross of sufficient thickness and solidity while optimising the use of the stone. The local grey-blue to dark grey shale gives the whole a sober, austere tone that is perfectly in keeping with Breton popular devotion. The engraved ornamentation is at the heart of the piece's artistic interest. The monogram IHS (the first letters of the name of Jesus in Greek), the two Eucharistic chalices, the heart and the two Passion nails form a coherent iconographic programme centred on the Passion of Christ and the sacraments of the Church. The engraving, done by direct carving in schist, reveals a local craftsman who mastered the iconographic codes of his time, no doubt trained by a master stonemason in the region.
Related Figures
Artisan tailleur de pierre local (XVIIe siècle) — auteur anonyme des gravuresMissionnaires jésuites bretons (XVIIe siècle) — probables commanditaires ou inspirateurs du programme iconographiqueConservateurs des Monuments Historiques (1927) — responsables de l'inscription et de la sauvegarde de la croix
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Croix located?
Croix is located in Monterrein, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Croix built?
Croix dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Croix open to visitors?
Croix is currently closed to visitors.