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Origin and history

La croix de Catuffe is a wrought iron cross located in the commune of Alairac, in the department of Aude (Occitanie). Dated from the second quarter of the 17th century, it is located on the edge of the Castelles Road, formerly called the Route of the Procession of the Rogations in the 18th century. This journey was taken every year during the feasts of the Rogations, a religious tradition where the faithful traveled the boundaries of the land to bless them. The cross, although mutilated, preserves decorative elements such as stylized foliage and a four-leaf lanceolate pattern.

The structure rests on a sandstone base and has an octagonal column topped by a cubic capital. The cross itself consists of four square irons curved in quarter circles, assembled without rivets or screws. Ranked a historic monument by decree of 14 April 1948, it belonged to the commune and bears witness to local craftsmanship in iron and steel. Its present state, partially degraded, suggests that it was originally similar to another cross located in the place of Alairac, now disappeared or transformed.

The Rogations, to which this cross was associated, were solemn processions intended to implore divine protection on cultures and inhabitants. These practices, common in the Occitan countryside, reflected the importance of religion in daily and agricultural life. The cross of Catuffe, by its location and its symbolism, marked a point of gathering and devotion for the community of Alairac.

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