The Calvary at La Cossonnerie

  • The Calvary at La Cossonnerie

Presentation

At the time of its splendor, it was rightly said that the Calvary of La Cossonnerie was the most beautiful around.
Calvaries, mission crosses and other monuments bear witness to the faith of parishioners. Erected at the various entrances and exits to the village and at village crossroads, they have suffered the ravages of time.
Some of them have been partially restored, mainly by replacing crosses, but some of them looked quite splendid at the time of their sumptuousness. Such was the case with the calvary at La Cossonnerie.

The parish archives state that this calvary was erected in 1875, the year of a jubilee mission, on the initiative of Anne Loquais.
The cross was blessed on 10 August 1875, at the same time as the cross at Grand Cormier and La Sostière. On that day, a solemn procession came to La Cossonnerie from the church and left via La Foucherie and the road to Machecoul.

This was the composition of the Calvary:
  • the cross, very high up, was covered with a pattern of golden hearts.
  • Small silver crosses were placed on the façade and in the four corners of the monument.
  • On either side of the entrance door, elegant flowerpots were regularly decorated with flowers.
  • The main emblems of the Passion were arranged around Christ.

Children came here to pray. Every year, the church celebrated the "Month of Mary", and people even came in procession from Fresnay.

Most of the calvaries in the parish are over a hundred years old, but they have suffered the inexorable ravages of time... and faith. This was the case for the calvary at La Cossonnerie, which received far less maintenance after the death of Anne Loquais.

In 1923, with the cross threatening to fall into disrepair, Father Chesneau had it replaced by another wooden cross from the workshops of Théodore Bertreux. It was blessed on 7 October that year.

Sadly, not much remains today of the beautiful Calvary of yesteryear. The cross has disappeared and the Christ has a broken arm.

Owned by the municipality in 2008, the masonry base of the amputated monument was restored by an integration project at the initiative of the municipality.

The Historical Society plans to renovate the calvary.

Sources: The Historical Society
Information
  • PERIOD OF SITE OR HISTORIC MONUMENT :
    • 19th century
    • 20th century
  • Geographical zone :
    • Sainte-Pazanne

Map

Map

FICHE_INFO_SIMPLE_LIBELLE_DESTINATION
Le calvaire de la Cossonnerie
La Cossonnerie
44680
STE PAZANNE
GPS coordinates
Latitude : 47.05284
Longitude : -1.83171
Contact details
The Calvary at La Cossonnerie
La Cossonnerie
44680
STE PAZANNE