Construction of the cross XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Estimated realization period
11 juin 1930
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 11 juin 1930 (≈ 1930)
Official Order of Protection
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Stone 16th century cross: inscription by decree of 11 June 1930
Origin and history
La Croix de Coucouron is a monumental cross located in Solignac-sur-Loire, in the Haute-Loire department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Dated from the 15th century, it is located on the road linking the hamlet of Coucouron to the village of Solignac. This monument, inscribed in historical monuments by decree of 11 June 1930, bears witness to the local medieval religious art.
Architecturally, the cross rests on a truncated tetrahedral base topped by a square dice. A cylindrical column, separated by an astragal, supports an octagonal crusillon without florets. The iconography presents a Christ of Syriac tradition under a lambel on one side, and a Virgin with the Child sheltered under a dais formed by an angel with spread wings on the other.
According to the sources, the conical drum of the cross is decorated at its base with two astragals separated by a gorge. The anterior face bears a statuette of Christ under an inclined lamp, while the posterior face shows a Virgin protected by an angel. These stylistic details reflect the artistic and religious influences of the Velay era.
The precise location of the cross, near the hamlet of Coucouron, is indicated in the Merimée base under the code Insee 43241, attached to the municipality of Solignac-sur-Loire. Its registration in 1930 underscores its heritage importance, although its geographical accuracy is considered poor (level 5/10).
