Estimated construction XVe-XVIe siècles (≈ 1650)
Presumed period of creation of the cross.
1932
Rediscovery and reconstruction
Rediscovery and reconstruction 1932 (≈ 1932)
Found in a field, raised with a base.
26 octobre 1944
First registration MH (building)
First registration MH (building) 26 octobre 1944 (≈ 1944)
Listed as a historical monument, then removed.
23 janvier 2013
Registration as movable object
Registration as movable object 23 janvier 2013 (≈ 2013)
Protection as moved object.
8 juillet 2014
Deletion from the list of MH buildings
Deletion from the list of MH buildings 8 juillet 2014 (≈ 2014)
Property status deleted, object only protected.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The decree of 26 October 1944 listing the historical monuments of the Penhareng cross (municipal public domain, not cadastre) is repealed by order of 8 July 2014
Key figures
Henri Quilgars - Local historian
Retrieved old prints of the said place.
Estivant anonyme (1932) - Rediscoverer of the Cross
It was found and reconstituted in Pen-ar-Ran.
Origin and history
The Cross of Penhareng, also known as the Cross of Pen-ar-Ran, is a cross of granite road located in Piriac-sur-Mer, in the Loire-Atlantique department. With a height of less than 2 meters, it is distinguished by its two carved faces: a Crucifixion visible from the road, and a Visitation on the other side. The characters, depicted in an almost naive style, are roughly carved. The name of the place where it is located, Pen-ar-Ran, has known several historical images (Penarant in 1572, Penharan in 1627), but its meaning remains unknown. Today, it is located in a pavilion area, 500 metres from the city centre, at the intersection of Rue du Vieux-Moulin and Avenue Louis-Clément.
The cross would date from the 15th or 16th centuries, but it did not always occupy its present location. Killed and abandoned at an undetermined time, it was rediscovered in 1932 by a estivant in a field of Kergobel, more than 2 km east. He brought her back to Pen-ar-Ran and rebuilt her by making a base with stones from the Kerjean mansion. After several movements, it was finally installed at its current location. Although it was first listed as a building in 1944, it was removed from this list in 2014, retaining only its status as a protected movable object since 2013.
The name of the cross varies according to the sources: Penhareng in the protection orders, Pen-ar-Ran or Penferan in other documents. A nearby street also bears the name of Pen ar Ran. Despite these variations, the monument remains a testimony of the Breton road crosses, often linked to popular piety or parish boundaries. Its naive style and its turbulent history make it a remarkable heritage element, although its original environment has been lost.
Owned by the municipality of Piriac-sur-Mer, the cross is now accessible to the public, located on the border of the road. Its registration as a movable object in 2013 underscores its historical importance, despite the loss of its original context. The archives mention its repeal as a historic building monument in 2014, confirming that its protection is now based solely on its displaced object status.
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