Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The Moustoir Cross is an iconic monument located in Locoal-Mendon, Morbihan, England. This granite lec'h, cut in the shape of a slightly patted cross, dates from the 9th century. It is distinguished by a cross-shaped inscription engraved in its centre. The cross is erected in the heart of the place called the Moustoir, on the edge of a crossroads, near the chapel Saint-Vincent-Ferrier. At his side, a second lect'h, smaller and unchristianized, completes the whole, although its protection as historical monuments remains ambiguous according to official sources.

The "Cross and the two lechs of the Moustoir" was inscribed in the historical monuments on 13 May 1937. However, this protection would concern only two small steles located on the other side of the road, near the chapel, and not the lec'h adjacent to the cross. Confusion often persists with another nearby listed site, the Three Crosses, located closer to the centre of Locoal-Mendon. In 2011, the municipality reported the disappearance of one of the two classified steles, without specifying which, highlighting the vulnerability of this heritage.

Lechs (or lechs) are funeral or commemorative steles typical of Brittany, often associated with medieval times. Their Christianization, like that of the cross of the Moustoir, reflects the transition between pagan traditions and evangelization of the region. These monuments probably marked burial sites or territorial boundaries, playing a central role in the collective memory of local communities.

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