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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Way of the Cross and the Calvary of Verdelais constitute a major religious group of the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, located on the hill of Cussol, south of the village of Verdelais (Gironde). This site, built between 1855 and 1868 under the impulse of Cardinal Donnet, is organized around a winding route marked by fourteen identical neogothic chapels, each with a bas-relief illustrating a station on the Way of the Cross. At its summit, a monumental calvary presents the three crosses (Christ and larrons), accessible by an imposing staircase. The chapel of St Agonia, at the entrance, rests on the foundations of an earlier building.

The site, classified as a historical monument in 2010, includes sixteen chapels, their altars, the crosses, the staircase and the balustrade of the Calvary, as well as five statues. Despite its heritage importance, it suffered significant damage, particularly after the storms of December 1999 (partial destruction of the body of a larron). The old chapels and the calvary require restorations, supported by public subscriptions. The route ends with the chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, better preserved than the other elements.

Together, linked to the Basilica of Verdelais, forms a place of Catholic pilgrimage still active today. Its neogothic architecture and its landscape integration (undergrowth, view of the village) make it a remarkable example of the religious arrangements of the Second Empire. The bas-reliefs of the stations, although degraded, bear witness to a sculptural know-how typical of the time. The site is managed in part by the Association des Amis du Sanctuary Notre-Dame de Verdelais, which works for its preservation.

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