Construction of the cross XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
Built for Jacques Fournel, pilgrim.
1823
Merger of municipalities
Merger of municipalities 1823 (≈ 1823)
Maintru, Osmoy and Saint-Valéry united.
20 juillet 1908
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 20 juillet 1908 (≈ 1908)
Official protection of the cross.
1926
Current name of municipality
Current name of municipality 1926 (≈ 1926)
Osmoy-Saint-Valery officially adopted.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Cemetery Cross (Reests of the) : Order of 20 July 1908
Key figures
Jacques Fournel - Sponsor and Pilgrim
At the origin of the erection of the cross.
Origin and history
The Osmoy-Saint-Valery Cemetery Cross is a historic monument located in the former cemetery of the municipality of Osmoy-Saint-Valery, Normandy. Dated from the 16th century, it was erected at the initiative of Jacques Fournel, a pilgrim of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, as evidenced by the inscriptions and the shell of Saint-Jacques engraved on its stone structure. This monument illustrates the importance of medieval pilgrimages and the religious devotion of the time.
Classified as a historical monument since 20 July 1908, this cross is a vestige of local history, marked by the fusion of the communes of Maintru, Osmoy and Saint-Valéry in 1823, and the adoption of the current name of Osmoy-Saint-Valery in 1926. It also symbolizes the funeral and religious heritage of the region, where the cemetery crosses played a central role in community and spiritual life.
The cross, now owned by the commune, is described in works such as Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Seine-Maritime (1997), which highlights its historical and architectural interest. Its state of conservation and its precise location in the old cemetery make it a tangible testimony of 16th century art and beliefs in Haute-Normandie (now Normandy).
