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Origin and history

The Moëze Hosannière Cross, also known as the 'temple de Moëze', is a classic votive altar erected between 1628 and 1632. This monument, located in the cemetery of Moëze in Charente-Maritime, is commissioned by the local parish priest, probably to flatter the cardinal of Richelieu after the surrender of La Rochelle in 1628. Its architecture is inspired by Greek temples, with Corinthian columns and a Latin frieze, which is his nickname.

In the 17th century, after the religious pacification of 1629, a new cross surmounted by pyramidal support was added. During the French Revolution, the summit of the monument was destroyed by order of the envoys of the National Convention, Joseph Lequinio and Joseph François Laignelot. It will not be restored until 1825. In December 1999, a storm struck the cross, which subsequently rose.

Ranked a historic monument since July 12, 1886, this monument is a testimony to the religious tensions of the period and classical architecture in vogue in the seventeenth century. Although it has often been confused with a tomb, it is actually a votive altar, symbol of the Catholic reconquest after the Wars of Religion. Its central location in the cemetery, near Saint Peter's Church, reinforces its importance in the local landscape.

The structure consists of a base made of cut stone, surrounded by steps, and topped by four columns fluted per face. A Latin frieze is often worn, while the cross rests on a narrower pyramidal base. This monument illustrates both the know-how of the artisans of the period and the political and religious stakes of Charente-Maritime in the 17th century.

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