Invention of technology 1926 (≈ 1926)
Sarrabezolles tests his method in Villemomble.
1931
Calvary control
Calvary control 1931 (≈ 1931)
Project initiated by the local priest.
1933
Publication of the method
Publication of the method 1933 (≈ 1933)
*The sculpture without a model* edited.
22 octobre 2024
Registration MH
Registration MH 22 octobre 2024 (≈ 2024)
Official protection of the monument.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The concrete calvary carved by Carlo Sarrabezolles, in its entirety, situated on Parcel No. 54, appearing in the cadastre of the commune, section AP, as shown on the plan attached to the decree: inscription by order of 22 October 2024
Key figures
Carlo Sarrabezolles - Sculptor
Author of the Calvary, inventor of the technique.
Maurice Denis - Painter and theorist
Founder of sacred art workshops.
Jacques Foucart - History of Art
Recognizes Sarrabezolles as a major sculptor.
Origin and history
The Calvary of Coulonges-sur-l'Autize is a 5-metre-high concrete sculpture by Carlo Sarrabezolles (1888-1971). This sculptor invented a technique of direct size of the concrete in catch, which he described in his work The sculpture without a model (1933). A member of the sacred art workshops of Maurice Denis, Sarrabezolles is recognized as a major figure in 20th century religious sculpture, with achievements in France, the United States and Serbia.
The monument represents a cross Christ accompanied by a woman in prayer dressed in a traditional costume evoking the Gâtine. Commanded in 1931 by the local priest, inspired by an earlier work by Sarrabezolles in Villemomble (Seine-Saint-Denis), the calvary is implanted on a pedestal today cracked, victim of erosion. Originally surrounded by a concrete railing, he was inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 22 October 2024 for his artistic and technical value.
The technique used, revolutionary for the time, was to sculpt the concrete during its capture, without prior modeling. Sarrabezolles applied this method in various projects, including the Three Elements of the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. The Calvary of Coulonges-sur-l.
Owned by the municipality, the monument is located 25 Route de Bressuire, on cadastral plot n°54 (section AP). Its current state reflects the conservation challenges of concrete sculptures exposed to weather, while its recent inscription underscores its heritage importance.
