Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The road cross of Vollore-Ville is a historical monument built between the 16th and 17th centuries. It rests on a mummy granite base, carved from a niche housing a recent statue. The structure is adorned with a heart in high relief, stylized flowers in the shell, and a fleur de lilies at the top of the arch. The Christ in bas-relief, leaning to the right, crowns a column whose stem and crumbs carry appendages in the shape of gears with four teeth. This work, classified as Historical Monument by decree of 6 December 1984, reflects a sober and symbolic rural art, typical of the local achievements of the period.

The central niche, framed by pilasters and chamfered modillons, highlights a statue whose modern appearance contrasts with the old structure. The sculptural details, like the flowers and the flower of lilies, evoke religious and royal influences, while the stylized gears on the cross add a distinctive artisanal touch. The approximate location, noted as "passable" (level 5/10), would locate the monument near Vollore-Ville, in the Puy-de-Dôme, although GPS coordinates suggest an address close to Saint-Éloy-la-Glacière. This gap highlights the challenges of precision in the documentation of small rural heritages.

Ranked among the protected elements under the cadastral reference ZH 108, this cross of paths embodies the role of religious monuments in the countryside of Auvergne in the 16th and 17th centuries. At that time, such crosses served as spiritual and community landmarks, marking the routes or parish boundaries. Their presence also reflected the influence of the Church in everyday life, where fairs, pilgrimages and local gatherings ryhtmed the existence of the inhabitants. The "crust" art of this cross, mentioned in the sources, bears witness to the limited resources and craftsmanship of the rural communities of the time.

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