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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The cemetery cross of Saillans, classified as a historical monument in 1907, is a typical 16th century hosanary cross. Located in front of the western gate of the church of Saint-Seurin, it dates precisely from 1573 according to the engraved inscription, although its style still evokes the 15th century. This three-part monument (square base, adorned, sommital cross) served the blessings of the branches and highlighted Saint Seurin, patron saint of the parish, whose statue dominates the whole.

The cask, divided into four floors, carries twelve statuettes of saints and angels in round-bosse, including Saint Madeleine, Saint Anthony, Saint Catherine and Saint John the Baptist at the lower level. The higher statues represent St Peter, the angel Gabriel, St Paul and St Michael terrorizing the dragon. These sculptures, although considered clumsy by Léo Drouyn, are part of the tradition of seigneurial gifts, with a funeral vault for parish priests under the base.

The cross itself, of late Gothic style, has florets and a crucifix at the feet of which is a head of death. The symbols of the Evangelists, in bas-relief, complete the iconography. Despite some degradations (broken flowers), it remains one of Gironde's best preserved. His shield bearing the date of 1543 (perhaps a transcription error for 1573) highlights the persistence of medieval forms in the Renaissance.

Léo Drouyn, in his 1865 description, notes that the statuettes, although "drawing in the most deplorable way", give the monument a rare decorative richness. The cross also illustrates the evolution of funeral practices: placed at the entrance of the cemetery, it marked the boundary between the world of the living and that of the dead, while celebrating divine protection on the parish.

Ranked among the historical monuments since 1907, this hosannial cross bears witness to the local religious patronage and the art of master masons, distinct from professional sculptors. His iconography, blending holy patrons and biblical scenes, reflects beliefs and collective piety at the end of the Middle Ages, in a region then marked by the wars of Religion.

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