QR Yronde-et-Buron 4
THE CROSS OF LA MOLIERE
Planted on the verge of paths, on crossroads, in graveyards, by churches or on village squares, crosses symbolise the fervency of the country people.
They have numerous roles:
– crosses used for processions or crosses of supplication, their aim is to protect harvests.
– crosses of commemoration for a horrid event such as horrible death or an epidemics.
– crosses show limits of a parish.
– jubilee crosses planted following a holy year
– numerous mission crosses that became widespread after the French revolution.
The cross in la Molière is planted in the centre of the village. It is a landmark in the local history. It probably embodies the testimony of an old act of devotion from a millstone carver.. Millstone carving used to be the main job in the village whose name derives from this activity.
Above a solid base made of two rough outlines of millstones, its pedestal shows characters in relief depicting the Three Marias. Numerous characters are engraved on the barrel and the braces of the cross. These engravings illustrate Christian symbols such as the fish, the sun and the moon, tools used by stone carvers like a compass, a hammer, a tip and a bow drill.
The outline of a millstone can be distinguished on one of its side. On the other side, a rough Christ wearing a thorny crown can be discerned in the centre of the cross.