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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The Cross with instruments of the Passion, located in Arx in the Landes, is a mission cross erected during the first quarter of the 19th century. This monument, decorated with the symbols of the Passion of Christ, illustrates an artistic and religious trend marked by the Church's will to rechristianize the populations after the French Revolution. Its style reflects the expression of popular faith, mixing simplicity and strong symbolism, characteristic of works intended for a rural audience.

Classified as a Historical Monument by decree of 10 January 2008, this cross includes its base and its walk, located on the edge of the communal way no. 3, near the church of Saint Martin. It belongs to the commune of Arx and constitutes a valuable ethnological testimony, revealing local religious and artistic practices in the early 19th century. The location, although considered satisfactory a priori (note 6/10), remains approximate, with an address indicated as 10 Le Bourg, 40310 Arx.

This monument is part of a broader historical context in which the Catholic Church, after revolutionary upheavals, undertakes an active campaign of spiritual reconquest. The mission crosses, like the one of Arx, served as visual and educational aids to revive the devotion of the faithful. Their establishment in public places, often near churches, strengthened their role as a spiritual and community landmark. The Passion Instruments Cross thus embodies both an object of worship and an identity marker for the local population.

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