Construction of the cross 1720 (≈ 1720)
Date engraved on the monument.
16 décembre 1949
Registration Historic Monument
Registration Historic Monument 16 décembre 1949 (≈ 1949)
Official protection by order.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Cross dated 1720 above the village: inscription by order of 16 December 1949
Origin and history
La Croix de Colombier is an iconic monument located in the municipality of the same name, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Dated from 1720, it is representative of the road or village crosses erected at the beginning of the eighteenth century, often to mark a gathering place, a crossroads, or a point of prayer. Its location above the village suggests a function both religious and symbolic, visible from a distance by the inhabitants and travellers.
Classified as a Historical Monument by decree of 16 December 1949, this cross illustrates the local heritage and the importance of religious buildings in the social and spiritual organization of the rural communities of the time. At that time, the region, then integrated into the province of Forez, was characterized by a mainly agricultural and artisanal economy. The crosses played a central role in daily life, serving as landmarks, places of devotion, and sometimes as boundaries between territories and processional paths.
Their preservation is evidence of people's attachment to their history and cultural identity.
