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Origin and history

The cross of Boët is a covered monumental cross located at the exit of Pernes-les-Fontaines, in the Vaucluse, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is distinguished by its rare architecture in Provence, with a stone portal forming a baldaquin, topped by a lauze roof resting on four triangular frontons. Classified as a historical monument since 1961, it is one of the last two covered crosses still visible in Provence, with that of Beaucaire.

The cross commemorates an event on May 13, 1433, when Pierre de Boët, the first trustee of Pernes-les-Fontaines, handed over the city keys to Cardinal Foix, the pope's legatee, as a sign of gratitude. This act contrasted with the refusal of the city of Avignon to submit. The cross became a symbol of this allegiance, before being threatened with destruction during the French Revolution in 1794, when the original cross was replaced by a prick surmounted by a Phrygian bonnet.

In the 18th century, the cross belonged to the Marquis de Jocas. After the revolutionary degradations, a new cross was erected at the site of the old one. The building consists of a stone column on a rectangular base, topped by a arch in a warhead. Its architecture, combining religious and commemorative elements, makes it a rare testimony of Provencal history and the political tensions of the time.

Today, the cross of Boët is owned by the municipality of Pernes-les-Fontaines. Its ranking among historical monuments in 1961 underlines its heritage importance, both for its architectural originality and for its role in local and regional history.

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