Nouveau cimetière
MonumentHidden Treasure
Nouveau cimetière, located in Lanouée (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
- Lanouée, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.0024, -2.5871
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091347
In the heart of Morbihan, this 16th-century cemetery cross houses a remarkable collection of sculptures: angels, bishop and Christ under a stone canopy, a discreet jewel of Breton heritage.
History
In the quiet market town of Lanouée, in the heart of inland Morbihan, the new cemetery conceals a treasure that you wouldn't suspect at first glance: a monumental ancient cross, listed as a Historic Monument since 1946, which in itself sums up several centuries of popular devotion and Breton sculptural expertise. Far from the crowds that flock to the great Gothic cathedrals or the châteaux of the Loire, this confidential monument offers an intimate encounter with the sacred art of the 16th century. What makes this cross truly singular is the narrative density of its iconographic programme. On a plinth serving as an altar, a long sculpted stone - probably taken from a lost altarpiece - unfolds a liturgical scene of astonishing precision: an angel kneels holding a candle, a bishop officiates facing an altar, and a second angel presents him with a pontifical tiara. Remarkably well executed for a rural monument, this bas-relief bears witness to the intense religious life that animated Breton communities during the Renaissance. A visit to this cross requires slow contemplation. The eye travels from the base to the top, gradually discovering the shaft rebuilt with hooks - the mark of an earlier restoration that does not detract from the authenticity of the whole - and then the sculptures at the top where Christ on the Cross stands side by side with a very tender Virgin and Child on the other side. The stone canopy that has protected these figures for centuries is itself a precious testimony to an architectural practice specific to inland Brittany. The setting of the Lanouée cemetery adds to the emotion of the discovery. Surrounded by the characteristic vegetation of the Morbihan bocage, the site offers a natural retreat that is undisturbed by noise or the hustle and bustle of tourism. It's here that heritage rediscovers its primary function: not as a spectacle, but as a meditation on the continuity of human gestures over the centuries.
Architecture
The cross in the Lanouée cemetery is typical of Breton parish crosses from the 16th century, combining a massive altar base, a slender shaft and an ornate cross at the top. The rectangular plinth plays a dual functional and decorative role: it provides a stable support for the entire structure, and one of its sides accommodates the long carved stone that has been reused, transforming the base of the cross into a veritable open-air altarpiece. This is a particularly ingenious arrangement, making every passage in front of the cross an opportunity for iconographic meditation. The shaft, rebuilt during the transfer or a subsequent restoration, is adorned with hooks - a Gothic decorative motif applied to the edges - which create a stylistic dialogue with the original sculptures. The ends of the cross bear the most precious sculptures of the whole: on the main side, a Christ on the Cross of a sober and poignant realism; on the opposite side, a Virgin and Child whose tenderness contrasts with the gravity of the Crucified. These two figures, protected from the elements by a characteristic stone canopy - a typical architectural feature of covered crosses in Morbihan and southern Finistère - have survived the centuries in a remarkable state of preservation. The whole structure is carved from local granite, a material that is ubiquitous in inland Brittany, and whose strength goes a long way to explaining the exceptional longevity of these open-air monuments.
Related Figures
Évêque anonyme représenté sur le bas-relief — figure liturgique centrale du programme iconographique de la croixSculpteurs bretons itinérants du XVIe siècle — artisans anonymes auteurs des sculptures de la croix et probablement du retable démembréFabriciens de la paroisse de Lanouée — commanditaires et gardiens de la croix lors de sa translation dans le nouveau cimetièreAdministrateurs des Monuments Historiques — responsables de la protection officielle du monument par l'arrêté du 27 février 1946
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Nouveau cimetière located?
Nouveau cimetière is located in Lanouée, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Nouveau cimetière built?
Nouveau cimetière dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Nouveau cimetière open to visitors?
Nouveau cimetière is currently closed to visitors.