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Origin and history

The cross at the entrance of the Château de la Faye park, at Saint-Sulpice-de-Mareuil (Dordogne), dates from the 2nd quarter of the 17th century, as evidenced by the inscription of 1642 engraved on its barrel. It is distinguished by its rarity in the region: the carved crosses of this period are few in Périgord. Its decor includes acanthe leaves at the base and a representation of Christ standing, with hands tied behind his back. This monument, inscribed in the Historical Monuments since January 5, 1948, marks access to an estate whose history dates back to at least the sixteenth century.

The Château de la Faye, to which this cross is associated, is the result of the expansion of a Renaissance structure by a noble family of the Périgord. The fief belonged successively to the families of Puyzilhon (or Puissillon), Maillard and Bellussière, before passing in 1921 to Colonel Grant de Luxolière by inheritance. The main house, flanked by two pavilions, preserves Renaissance architectural elements, such as sled windows. This site illustrates the evolution of seigneurial residences in Dordogne, between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

The location of the castle, in the northwest of the Dordogne, near the former village of Saint-Sulpice-de-Mareuil (now integrated with Mareuil in Périgord), reflects its local historic importance. The 1642 cross, with its particular iconography, could evoke a religious or commemorative context linked to the family owner. Monuments of this type were often used to affirm a seigneurial presence or devotion, in a region marked by the Wars of Religion and the Counter-Reform.

The inscription of the cross in the Historical Monuments in 1948 underscores its heritage value, both artistic and historical. The road or park crosses, like this one, were visual and spiritual landmarks in noble domains. Their preservation offers a material testimony of the cultural and religious practices of the perigordin elites in the seventeenth century, a period of reconstruction and affirmation of identity after the disturbances of the previous centuries.

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