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Origin and history

The cross of Bouthiry is a monumental granite cross located at the place called Bouthiry, on the municipality of Le Saint, in Morbihan. Dating from the 16th century, it stands on the square of the ancient chapel Saint-Adrien, today in ruins. The cross presents a Christ surmounted by a sculpted hooked brace, while his reverse represents a Virgin. Two characters are depicted under the arms of the cross, which rests on a polygonal base serving as a capital to a cylindrical barrel. The ensemble is placed on a basement rebuilt in 1820.

The associated chapel, also from the 16th century, was destroyed in the 19th century. Some of its elements, such as three doors, were re-used in 1932 in the town hall of Le Saint. The cross itself, classified as a historical monument since 17 April 1931, is a remarkable example of Breton Christian Renaissance architecture. Its current edicle, partially rebuilt in 1932, incorporates remains of the original chapel.

The monument illustrates the local religious heritage, marked by crosses and ossuary typical of Brittany. These buildings served both as spiritual landmarks and as gathering places for rural communities. The cross of Bouthiry, with its detailed sculptures, bears witness to the craftsmanship and devotion of the period, while stressing the importance of secondary chapels in the Breton landscape of the sixteenth century.

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