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Origin and history

The Cemetery Cross of Verseilles-le-Bas, located in the cemetery near the village church, is an emblematic monument dating from the 15th century, although some sources evoke an engraved date of 1632. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1925 for its Renaissance architecture and sculptural details. The cross is distinguished by its pedestal adorned with inscriptions, its was decorated with lily flowers and a shared shield, as well as its cross surmounted by a Christ with superimposed feet and a diademized Virgin holding the Child Jesus on his right arm, two rare iconographic peculiarities.

The sculpted shield on the barrel, cut in half, suggests an alliance between a lord and his wife, with heraldic motifs including lily flowers and two backed bars. Although the shield cannot be attributed with certainty to a specific family, it is known that Giey's family owned the fief of Verseilles-le-Bas in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Corinthian-style capital, and the cross itself, with flowered cloves, illustrate the artistic influence of the Renaissance in this region of the Haute-Marne.

The cross has notable iconographic features: Christ has his feet laid upon one another, a rare arrangement, while the Virgin carries the Child Jesus on her right arm, an unusual representation in Christian art. These details, combined with the quality of the sculpture, make this monument a valuable testimony of local religious art. The cross is still located in the village cemetery, in Verseilles-le-Bas, 11 km from Langres, and remains property of the municipality.

Historical sources, including the works of Émile Humblot, underline the importance of this cross in the religious heritage of the Haute-Marne. Its inclusion in the inventory of historical monuments in 1925 allowed its preservation, although its exact location is now considered of poor accuracy (level 5/10).

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