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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cross Road of the Lagupie Cemetery is a historical monument located within the cemetery of the Church of Saint John the Baptist, which has been classified since 1925 for its 12th century Romanesque elements. This village of Lot-et-Garonne, marked by the presence of rich families, would have seen the construction of this cross path around 1868, carried out by the Virebent brothers, ceramists and architects of Toulouse. The work is distinguished by its artistic originality and its implantation, combining terracotta, stone and polychrome enamel to represent the fourteen stations of the Calvary.

Originally, the fourteen painted medallions decorated the cruciform stations, but ten have disappeared over time. In 2010, the town hall of Lagupie entrusted the restoration of the four remaining medallions to the Recomposed Past Workshop of Bordeaux, specialized in ceramics. Since the missing medallions were lost, their reproduction remains a pending project. The ensemble was classified as historic monuments on July 16, 2020, highlighting its heritage and artistic value.

Architecturally, each station consists of five terracotta pieces assembled by staples and an iron tile, supporting a central medallion in polychrome enamel. These medallions, set on the back of terracotta engraved with a chrism, depict the key scenes of the Passion of Christ. The heritage service of the Conseil départemental underlines the rarity of this work, both in its conception and in its integration into the funerary landscape of the village.

The 2020 classification protects all fourteen stations, carried out by the Virebent workshop, in accordance with the cadastral plan of Parcel No. 64. Owned by the commune, this cross path bears witness to the influence of the Toulouse ceramicists in the region and the importance of local sponsors in preserving religious heritage in the 19th century.

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