Construction of the cross XIVe siècle (≈ 1450)
Erection to symbolize the plague.
11 juin 1930
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 11 juin 1930 (≈ 1930)
Registration by official order.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Cross of road called the Mas: inscription by decree of 11 June 1930
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
Sources do not mention any actors.
Origin and history
La Croix du Mas, also known as the Gaillarde Cross, is a monumental cross located in the hamlet of the Mas, in the commune of Blassac, Haute-Loire. Dating from the 14th century, it is carved in a unique block of stone, with an octagonal section and ends adorned with threaded florets. His iconography includes a Christ in a four-lobed rosette on one side, and a six-lobed rosette with a vine leaf on the other.
The cross would have been erected to symbolize the plague, becoming an object of pilgrimage. It has been listed as historic monuments since 11 June 1930. Its barrel and its crusillons, carved with a single hold, present geometric and vegetal motifs, typical of medieval religious art. The precise location, in the heart of the hamlet of Mas, makes it a local historical and cultural landmark.
Architecturally, the cross is distinguished by its shape of the Greek cross, with crosses slightly exceeding the central intersection. The half-cylinders replacing the astragal on the barrel add a stylistic singularity. This monument illustrates the funeral and devotional art of Velay in the Middle Ages, while at the same time testifying to religious practices related to the epidemics of the period.
