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Origin and history

The Domecy-sur-le-Vault cross, erected in the 4th quarter of the 15th century, is an emblematic example of the flamboyant Gothic style. It is distinguished by its slender octagonal barrel, placed on a base with prismatic mouldings, typical of the know-how of Burgundian artisans of the late Middle Ages. The cross itself, also octagonal, has stylized plant motifs at the ends and a cross Christ accompanied by two statuettes: Saint Mary Magdalene on the right and a Franciscan monk on the left. Its sober yet elegant aesthetic reflects the rural devotional monuments of the time.

During the French Revolution (1794), the local authorities ordered the destruction of all the crosses of the village, symbols of the Ancien Régime. Only this cross, which was then located at the so-called Champ-d Around 1801, after the Napoleonic Concordat, it was returned to the parish factory and resettled on the base of another cross of the cemetery, whose barrel had been destroyed. This gesture marked a desire for religious reconciliation after revolutionary persecution.

Ranked a historical monument in 2009 (reference PA89000043), this cross is now the last witness to a once denser rural religious heritage. Its structural authenticity and its memorial value are a subject of study for the history of art and mentality in Burgundy. The contemporary base of the cask and the sculptures (Christ, Madeleine, Franciscan) attest to its stylistic consistency with the end of the 15th century.

The cross is currently located in the cemetery of the Saint-Léger church, at approximately 9 Rue du Pré Pirot (89200 Domecy-sur-le-Vault). Owned by the municipality, it is accessible to the public, although its exact location is considered "fair" (note 5/10) in the geographical databases. Its inscription in historical monuments underlines its importance as a material and intangible heritage of Yonne.

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