The horseshoe-shaped cemetery and its calvary

  • The horseshoe-shaped cemetery and its calvary
  • Le calvaire
The horseshoe-shaped cemetery and its calvaryLe calvaire

Presentation

A place full of history : a monumental calvary, a chapel and a circular cemetery unique in Europe.
In 1793, aged 24, the parish priest Jean Voillet helped General Charette fight against the Republicans. The war left him with a scar on his face. After being placed in the curacy of Saint-Hilaire in 1802, Father Voillet resumed his duties in 1805.

It was then that he decided to erect a calvary similar to the one at Pontchâteau, as a tribute to those killed in the Vendée Wars. Work began in 1826 on a mound of earth. Originally, the mound was topped by a single wooden cross. In 1835, a chapel was built on the same mound, which took 10 years to complete.

Under the porch, two marble tables facing each other have been installed thanks to the generosity of the Jugné and Durfort families (Château du Bois-Ruaud). The memorial plaques of the Vendée Memorial bear 206 names (out of a population of 1,150 at the time).

In 1854, on Easter Day, two side crosses were installed, still made of wood until 1931, when they were erected in concrete. This was thanks to a donation from Mrs Marie Paty, a former butcher who had won the lottery. Here is the finished representation of Christ and the two thieves.

The parish priests rest all around the Calvary on the Way of the Cross dating from 1858. In 1954, the new paintings of the Stations of the Cross were entrusted to the Machecoulais artist Armand Pavageau, whose very modern style at the time had caused quite a stir in the local community.

In 1944, the mural of the Pieta was inaugurated. This mural, which was in a sorry state due to damp, was restored by Roselyne Avril and Ginette Tayllamin in 2010.

After climbing the imposing steps, visitors can walk around the calvary and admire the huge horseshoe-shaped cemetery below, inaugurated in 1869 and surrounded by a circular wall. The only one of its kind in Europe!

Many thanks to Jean-François de Taevernier for his editorial insights.
Information
  • PERIOD OF SITE OR HISTORIC MONUMENT :
    • 19th century
  • RELIGIOUS HERITAGE :
    • Chapel
  • DETAILS FOR CIVIL ARCHITECTURE :
    • Civil and Military Cemetery
  • VISITS :
    • Individual admission (without guide)
    • Group admission (without guide)
  • Geographical zone :
    • Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons

Map

Map

FICHE_INFO_SIMPLE_LIBELLE_DESTINATION
Le cimetière en fer à cheval et son calvaire
L'abreuvoir
44680
ST HILAIRE DE CHALEONS
GPS coordinates
Latitude : 47.10477
Longitude : -1.86606
See The horseshoe-shaped cemetery and its calvary on GoogleMaps
LIEN_ACCES_MOTEUR_RESA_FICHE
Contact details
The horseshoe-shaped cemetery and its calvary
L'abreuvoir
44680
ST HILAIRE DE CHALEONS
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