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Origin and history

The cemetery cross of Saint Sulpice and Cameyrac, classified as historical monuments since 17 July 1908, dates from the 16th century. It is to the right of the west entrance of the village church, on the site of the old cemetery. Its architecture combines a hexagonal base with three steps, a round barrel decorated with four statuettes in bas-relief (Saint Sulpice, Saint Roch, Saint Antoine and Saint Michel), and a richly decorated Gothic cross. The faces represent a Notre-Dame-de-Piété and a crucifix, the latter having been reversed after the French Revolution, now turning towards the rising instead of the setting, as the medieval tradition wanted.

During the Revolution, the cross was reversed and then straightened up, changing its symbolic orientation. This historical detail is confirmed by Léo Drouyn, who highlights this post-revolutionary particularity. The decorative elements, such as the arms and bells, as well as the niches housing the statuettes, allow to date the whole of the first half of the sixteenth century. After 1907, a further change in its orientation was registered, although the sources do not specify the reasons for this change.

The cross is a remarkable example of late Gothic religious art in New Aquitaine. His iconography reflects local devocations, with Saint Roch, patron saint of the parish, represented with his traditional attributes (bourdon, dog and angel). Saint Michel terrorizing the dragon and Saint Antoine, with his bell, complete this sculptural program. The monument, owned by the commune, also illustrates the upheavals suffered by religious heritage during periods of political crisis, such as the Revolution.

Architecturally, the square base at the base becomes octagonal in height, supporting a cylindrical drum flanked by pilasters. This structure, typical of the hosannière crosses or cemetery of the region, served both as a funerary landmark and as a support for processions. Comparison with the Saillans cross, mentioned in the sources, suggests a stylistic filiation between these girondin monuments. Today, the cross remains a tangible witness to the religious and artistic practices of the Renaissance in Aquitaine.

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