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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The cross of Pouilly-en-Auxois is a monumental cross erected on a terrace facing a hill, near the chapel Notre-Dame Trouvée. It dates mainly from the 15th century, although elements date back to the 13th and 16th centuries. This monument served on pilgrimages, allowing the faithful to follow the sermons from the natural steps of the hill. The cross, which was listed as a historical monument in 1897, was probably restored in the 20th century, especially during work on the neighbouring chapel.

The monument is distinguished by its unique external composition: a sober cross with ground ends, an altar (or resting place) backed by the pedestal, and a pulpit to preach in local stone, built on the first step of the circular base. Christ on the cross and a Virgin to the Child, surmounted by angels, adorn the faces of the cross. The rest room, added later, and parts of the barrel were redone, probably during restorations of the early twentieth century.

The pulpit, which is about 1 metre high, forms a curved wall with straight angles, crowned with a larmal chaperon. The pedestal of the cross, monolith, passes from a square base to an octagonal form via pyramidal leave. This monument illustrates the importance of outside places of worship to accommodate the crowds of pilgrims, as the chapel Notre-Dame Trouvée is too small for gatherings.

Located on Rue de l'Eglise in Pouilly-en-Auxois (Côte d'Or), the cross is owned by the municipality. Its location, on a promontory east of the chapel, and its structure make it a rare testimony of medieval religious architecture and its adaptation to liturgical and popular needs. Sources refer to a location accuracy considered "passible" (note 5/10), without further geographic detail.

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