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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The Cross of the Marchidial of Saint-Nectaire is a monumental lava cross erected at the end of the 15th or 16th century. She is distinguished by her sculptures: a cross Christ adorns her anterior face, while a Pietà (Vierge of Mercy holding the dead Christ) decorates her posterior face, carried by a cul-de-lampe. Its current location, Place du Marchidial in Saint-Nectaire (Puy-de-Dôme), makes it a central element of local heritage, although its precise location is considered mediocre (note 5/10).

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1889 by the first protection list, this cross belongs to the commune of Saint-Nectaire. Its material, volcanic lava, is typical of religious architecture in the late medieval period. The representations of Christ and Pietà reflect the dominant iconographic themes of Christian devotion in Auvergne at the hinge of the 15th and 16th centuries. No information is available on its sponsor or sculpted artisans.

Available sources (Monumentum, Merimée base) indicate an administrative address in place of the Marchidial, although GPS coordinates suggest an approximate location in the Fontaine district. The cross, a communal property, is not subject to any mention concerning its accessibility to the public, its tourist vocation or its current use (visits, cultural, etc.).

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