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Heritage classified

Origin and history

La Croix de chemin de Feillens is a monumental cross located in the village of Feillens, in the department of Ain, in the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Dating from the 2nd half of the 15th century, it has been classified as historical monuments since 1927. Although it is no longer in its original location, it has been moved twice: first on the courtyard of a nearby chapel, then, after restoration, near the same chapel. Its rich and symbolic iconography makes it a remarkable testimony of local medieval religious art.

The barrel and the branches of the cross are adorned with stylized knots evoking a tree, while its top has a pelican (today beheaded) nourishing its young with its own flesh, a strong Eucharistic symbol in the Middle Ages. At the back, a coat of arms hanged by a belt houses a small engraved cross: one of its faces represents tools of the Passion of Christ (lance, ladder, sponge, lantern), and the other a crown, a whip, a torch and a column surmounted by an animal (perhaps a cock). These motifs illustrate the Christian devotion of the time and the educational role of the cross of paths.

Ranked among the historical monuments of the Ain, this cross reflects the importance of symbolic representations in Burgundy and Bressan sacred art, an area marked by a strong rural piety. Its movement and restoration demonstrate the desire to preserve this heritage, while integrating it into an ever-active religious setting (the neighbouring chapel). Its present state, although partially altered (pelican without head), still allows to appreciate the finesse of its sculpture and its spiritual charge.

The road crosses, such as that of Feillens, served both as landmarks for pilgrims, as territorial markers and as support for catechesis in rural areas. Their establishment at crossroads or near places of worship highlighted their role in the daily and religious life of medieval communities. The presence of tools of the Passion also recalls the link between these monuments and the mysteries of Christ, often staged during processions or preaching.

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