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The Five Crosses (in
/ref> The base of another is inscribed with the date 1733.
/ref> Differing accounts attribute the central cross to the 15th or 16th century and consider the others to be medieval, while local lore has it that they were erected to commemorate a victory over English invaders. It is also said that they were assembled from various nearby places by the rector of the church to preserve them from destruction or on the occasion of a religious mission, perhaps in 1728 or 1733. The 1826 land survey shows that at that time the crosses stood, with a different orientation, along the road at about 25 metres from their present position.
M. Jules Job, "Les cinq croix de France à Saint Ouen de Marchefroy
/ref>
The Five Crosses (in French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, ''Les Cinq Croix'') are a set of stone crosses at Ploubezre
Ploubezre (; br, Ploubêr) is a Communes of France, commune in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France.
Population
Inhabitants of Ploubezre are called ''ploubezrie ...
, near Lannion
Lannion ( ; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of Côtes-d'Armor, the capital of Trégor and the center of an urban area of almost 60,000 inhabitants.
Climate
Lannion has a ...
, Côtes-du-Nord, in Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
, France, classified as a historic monument by a decree of 7 December 1925 and, as a group, attributed to the 18th century.
The central cross is placed on a tall pillar and has a figure of Christ on one side and of Mary the mother of Jesus on the other. The other crosses are plain except for that immediately to the right of the central cross, which bears the date 1728.Infobretagne: Patrimoine de Ploubezre/ref> The base of another is inscribed with the date 1733.
/ref> Differing accounts attribute the central cross to the 15th or 16th century and consider the others to be medieval, while local lore has it that they were erected to commemorate a victory over English invaders. It is also said that they were assembled from various nearby places by the rector of the church to preserve them from destruction or on the occasion of a religious mission, perhaps in 1728 or 1733. The 1826 land survey shows that at that time the crosses stood, with a different orientation, along the road at about 25 metres from their present position.
Interpretation by E. W. Bullinger
Groups of crosses are found also in other parts of Brittany gathered together for reasons that are now difficult to explain. Examples are a pair in front of a chapel at Croaziou and three at Pont Hir. However, the English theologianE. W. Bullinger
Ethelbert William Bullinger (15 December 1837 – 6 June 1913) was an Anglican clergyman, biblical scholar, and ultradispensationalist theologian.
Early life
He was born in Canterbury, Kent, England, the youngest of five children of William ...
(1837–1913) attached special significance to the group of five at Ploubezre, claiming that it was a confirmation of his theory that Jesus was crucified with four, not just two, criminals: two thieves and two other malefactors.
Another Cinq Croix
Outside of Brittany, another French Cinq Croix (Five Crosses) exists, reputedly a monument to five brothers killed in the 11th century in battle againstWilliam the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
. Unlike those at Ploubezre, these five crosses are not placed side by side. The monument is at the intersection of route D933 (Route de Houdan) and D136 north toward Marchefroy./ref>
References