QR Veyre-Monton – Bourg 4
Place de la Croix
The square, on the edge of the castle walls, is an extension of the Place du Poids de Ville. It owes its name to the wrought-iron mission cross erected during the Restoration period.
Looking down towards the cliff, you can see the monumental Virgin and Child, erected in 1869 following a preaching mission by the Capuchins. It was financed by the inhabitants of Monton on land that they owned. Made of Beaucaire stone and standing twenty-one metres high, it was chiselled by the sculptor Aristide Belloc friom Nantes, France.
The statue is the destination of an annual pilgrimage on the last Sunday in August.
Image captions
- The Place de la Croix in the early 20th century. In the background, the Place du Poids de Ville, created by filling in the castle moat in the mid-18th century. Named for the public weighbridge, which was installed in 1886 and used until 1960.