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Origin and history

The cross of Fanlac is a monumental carved cross, dated from the late 14th or early 15th century, according to the costume of the knight represented. This monument, located on the village square facing the church, is a typical example of medieval Christian crosses. On its eastern face, a cross Christ is surrounded by four angels holding chalices, while a knight in armor, kneeling and praying, is carved in a niche below. The west face shows a Virgin in glory, also surrounded by angels. The column and the base, rebuilt in 1883, bear this engraved date, attesting to a major restoration.

The monumental crosses, like Fanlac's, emerged in Europe from the seventh century, popularized by the Irish monks. They became common from the 11th century with Romanesque art, serving as places of worship in the absence of churches. In the 14th century, when this cross was built, they played a religious and social role, marking sacred spaces or paths. Their iconography often reflects local devotion, as here with the knight, symbol of the piety of the lords or fighters of the time.

The Fanlac Cross, listed as a Historical Monument in 1948, also illustrates the various functions of these monuments: spiritual landmarks, protections against plagues, or commemorations. His style, with angels and a Virgin in glory, is part of the tradition of the Latin crosses, which are frequent in France. The restorations of the 19th century, such as that of 1883, bear witness to a renewed interest in these heritages, then threatened by vandalism, weather or the modernization of the countryside. Today, it remains a remarkable vestige of medieval religious art in New Aquitaine.

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