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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The cemetery surrounding the church of Saint-Avé, located in Morbihan in Brittany, houses a 16th century cemetery cross. This granite cross is an array-like structure and rests on a rectangular base. It was erected in the cemetery of the parish church, and although its structure dates back to the 15th century, it was raised in 1903. Its precise location is to the south of the church bedside, on the church square, in the heart of the village.

The cross of Saint-Avé is recognized for its heritage value, as evidenced by its inscription in the title of historical monuments by decree of 13 February 1929. This classification specifically covers the 16th century cross, identified under the cadastral reference BD 171. Owned by the municipality, it illustrates the typical Christian architecture of the region, marked by the use of granite and the sculptural forms characteristic of the Breton crosses.

The cemetery and its cross are part of a broader historical context, that of the sixteenth and fifteenth centuries in Brittany, where the cemetery crosses played a central role in religious and community life. These monuments served both as spiritual landmarks and as gathering places, reflecting the importance of the Christian faith in the social and cultural organization of the Breton parishes. Their preservation today provides a material testimony to these past practices and beliefs.

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