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Origin and history

The discoidal cross of Montferrand is a 13th century medieval stele, native to the cemetery Saint-Pierre d'Alzonne, a few meters north of the church of Montferrand (Aude). It is distinguished by its archaic representation of the cross of Toulouse: a central Greek cross, framed in a diagonal square, whose arms extend by three straight stems ended by besants. Miniature cruises adorn the angles, while at its base, a schematic pattern (losange, triangles) may evoke a flower of lilies. The opposite side, very eroded, takes on a similar but illegible decor.

In 1984, the cross was moved to a private place for the first time, and then installed in the hall before the western gate of the church of Saint-Pierre d'Alzonne, below the village. This transfer made him lose his status as a building (related to his original anchor in the cemetery), leading to the repeal of his registration in the Historical Monuments in 2012. Originally protected in 1948 for its heritage interest, it illustrates the evolution of the criteria for preserving movable objects.

The iconography of the cross, blending occitan symbols (the Toulouse Cross) and royal symbols (the supposed fleur de lilies), reflects the political and religious influences of the medieval Aude, a region marked by tensions between Toulouse County and the crown of France. Its archaic style suggests a local realization, perhaps linked to a rural workshop retaining ancient motifs despite the period (XIII century, Gothic era).

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