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Origin and history

The Cross de l'Hosannaire de Ferrières-en-Gâtinais is a typical funeral edicle from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries, particularly widespread in western France. These monuments, often called cemetery crosses, are characterized by a full column, usually cylindrical, topped by a cross. Unlike the lanterns of the dead, they have no lighting system. Their height can reach up to 10 meters, and they often rest on a stone base. These crosses frequently marked the location of a common pit or ossuary.

The term hosannière could come from the Hebrew exclamation Hosanna, used in the 14th century to refer to Palm Sunday. In some areas, such as the south of the Deux-Sèvres or the west of Indre, branches of sacred boxwood (called hosanne or ozanne) were laid at the foot of these crosses during this festival. This practice, still common in Limousin before 1914, could also take the form of braided crosses, especially in Poitou. The 13th century Cross of the Hosannaire de Ferrières-en-Gâtinais is a local example of this medieval funeral heritage.

Near the cross is a 15th century stone desk, used for reading the Gospel during Holy Week. This desk could also be used to display civil power edicts. The cross itself, made of wrought iron with a stone coronation, was classified as Historic Monument by order of 12 June 1926. It is located in the cemetery of the commune, near the rue des Fosses Prolongées. Its conservation status and precise location are estimated to be fair according to available sources.

The hosannière crosses, although not exhaustively inventoried, would number about a hundred in France. Their geographical distribution extends from Poitou to Charentes, including Gironde, Dordogne, Auvergne, Brittany and Normandy. Some, such as that of Ferrières-en-Gâtinais, are nestled, a characteristic sometimes mistakenly associated with the Celtic crosses. These monuments reflect medieval religious and funeral practices, as well as community organization around burial places.

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