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Origin and history

The cross of Saint-Pierre de Granges-le-Bourg is a cross of paths located on the old route linking the two villages of Granges-le-Bourg and Granges-la-Ville, in Haute-Saône. There is no record of his date of erection, but his state of preservation and his special form – with St Peter on one side and Christ on the other – make it a remarkable monument. Its location, near the church dedicated to St Peter, suggests a strong link with local devotion and religious processions.

During the plague epidemic of 1636-1637, which decimated the population of the two villages, the local cemeteries were saturated. According to oral tradition, the bodies of the pestiferous were burned near the St. Peter's Cross, a hypothesis supported by the exclusive use of surrounding lands as pastures for nearly 400 years, avoiding any food crop. This place became a symbol of protection: during the Spanish flu (1918-1919), the inhabitants recited the rosary to guard against contagion.

Until the 1950s, the cross served as a resting place during the Rogations, a liturgical practice marking parish boundaries and invoking divine protection over cultures. Ranked a historic monument on November 26, 1979, it was preserved thanks to the gift of its last owner, Mr. Servonnat, to the commune. This gesture was intended to maintain this local heritage in situ, testifying to its memorial and spiritual importance for successive generations.

Today, the Saint Peter Cross embodies both an artistic heritage – with its atypical iconography – and a collective memory linked to health crises. Its maintenance and protection reflect the attachment of the inhabitants to this historical marker, both religious and social, of their territory.

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