Lanterne des morts dite Croix de Saint-Georges
MonumentHidden Treasure
Lanterne des morts dite Croix de Saint-Georges, located in Vouillon (Indre), 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
- Vouillon, Indre, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 46.8208, 1.9324
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00097490
A 12th-century stone sentinel, this lantern of the dead watches over the former cemetery of the Saint-Saturnin priory in Vouillon. Its bottle-shaped silhouette, unique in Berry, fascinates by its mystery and Romanesque elegance.
© Wikimedia Commons / Wikipedia
History
In the heart of deep Berry, in the commune of Vouillon in the Indre department, stands one of the best-preserved lanterns for the dead in France. This type of monument, a rare reminder of the central Middle Ages, belongs to a small family of funerary edifices, most of which can be found in France, concentrated in Poitou, Berry and Limousin. The one at Vouillon, classified as a Historic Monument in 1922, stands out for the unusual sophistication of its crown, which gives it a silhouette reminiscent of a stylised bottle - an image that is both familiar and strange, and one that never ceases to intrigue visitors. The building stands on the site of the former cemetery of the priory of Saint-Saturnin, whose ruins can still be seen in the surrounding landscape. In the past, a small flame burned at the top of these hollow columns, guiding the souls of the dead and reassuring the living in the darkness of medieval nights. This ritual of light, at the crossroads of Christianity and more ancient traditions, gives these monuments a spiritual aura that the centuries have not eroded. A visit to the lantern of the dead at Vouillon is an experience of simplicity and contemplation. There are no crowds here, no ticket offices or shops: just carved stone, the silence of the Berrichonne countryside and the enduring memory of a vanished priory. Lovers of Romanesque heritage will find this a lesson in architectural purity, while photographers will appreciate the play of low-angled light at sunrise or sunset, when the relief of the crown takes on its full relief. The setting itself adds to the emotion: the remains of the neighbouring twelfth-century church, the tall grass surrounding the monument and the soft light of the Berry region create a timeless picture. This is not a monument that you visit in passing - it's a place that you discover, and remember for a long time.
Architecture
The lantern for the dead at Vouillon has a vertical composition in three registers that perfectly illustrates the constructive logic of these Romanesque funerary monuments. The base is made up of four concentric steps forming a solemn plinth that anchors the building in the ground and gives it an architectural dignity worthy of an obelisk. Resting on this plinth is a square stack with a refined profile, whose quadrangular cross-section - less common than the circular plan adopted in some other lanterns for the dead - gives it a geometric rigour typical of Berrich Romanesque sculpture. It is the crowning glory that really sets the building apart and has earned it its reputation among specialists. A small ovoid dome, adorned with four pediments striped horizontally by parallel incisions, caps the stack and begins the transition to the upper finial. Above, a richly treated conical element - decorated at its base with four small smooth pediments in contrast to the striped pediments of the dome - rises to a large toric ring that completes the ensemble. This superimposition of volumes - dome, cone, torus - creates an overall spindle-shaped silhouette that local tradition likes to compare to a bottle, an image that has helped to anchor the monument in the collective memory. The materials used are those of the regional Romanesque style: carefully cut local limestone, with a golden patina that blends harmoniously with the light of the Berrich countryside.
Related Figures
Moines du prieuré de Saint-Saturnin de Vouillon (commanditaires présumés, XIIe siècle)Chevaliers de l'Ordre de Malte (inhumés selon la tradition locale dans le cimetière attenant)Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (auteurs du classement de 1922)Saint Saturnin de Toulouse (saint patron du prieuré, martyr du IIIe siècle vénéré dans tout le Centre de la France)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lanterne des morts dite Croix de Saint-Georges located?
Lanterne des morts dite Croix de Saint-Georges is located in Vouillon, Indre department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Lanterne des morts dite Croix de Saint-Georges built?
Lanterne des morts dite Croix de Saint-Georges dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Lanterne des morts dite Croix de Saint-Georges open to visitors?
Lanterne des morts dite Croix de Saint-Georges is currently closed to visitors.