Construction of the cross 1654 (≈ 1654)
Date engraved on the monument.
3e quart XVIIe siècle
Construction period
Construction period 3e quart XVIIe siècle (≈ 1762)
Architectural and historical context.
10 octobre 1991
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 10 octobre 1991 (≈ 1991)
Official protection by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Cemetery Cross, including Embedding (Box B1 59): Order of 10 October 1991
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
Sources do not mention any specific actors.
Origin and history
The cross of the Mesnil-Eudes cemetery is an emblematic monument located in this Norman municipality. Dated precisely from 1654, it illustrates religious architecture of the 3rd quarter of the 17th century. Classified as a historic monument since October 10, 1991, it embodies the local heritage related to funeral and community practices of the time.
This monument is associated with the Fraternities of Charity, Norman secular organizations dedicated to assisting the deceased and the most deprived. These brotherhoods, very active between the Middle Ages and the modern era, played a central role in the social and spiritual life of the villages. The cross, by its location in the cemetery, symbolized their presence and mission to the inhabitants.
The official protection of the cross in 1991 underlines its heritage importance. It includes not only the cross itself, but also its approach, i.e. the degrees or basis on which it rests. This architectural detail reinforces its monumental character and its anchoring in the local landscape. Available sources, such as the works of Arcisse de Caumont or the Mérimée bases, confirm its status as a major historical witness for Calvados and Normandy.
