Cross of Provence
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43°31′51″N 5°34′49″E / 43.530900046°N 5.5803630244°E
The Cross of Provence is a monument located on the western end of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.
The cross was erected on the most prominent western peak of the massif at 946 metres (3,103 ft 8 in) meters, rather than on the Pic des Mouches, the highest point, at 1,011 metres (3,316 ft 11 in).
The current monument is the fourth to be erected, the other three having suffered the ravages of time.[1]
It overlooks the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Victoire, a 17th-century priory undergoing restoration, and the mediaeval "chapelle Venture".[2]
The first cross of Provence was erected in the 16th century by a sailor "on the first mountain he saw" after surviving a shipwreck. The monument was made of wood and had two iron anchors at its base.[1]
Second cross
The second cross was erected in 1785 by Jean Laurans. This cross was similar in appearance to the first, but deteriorated rapidly.[1]
Third cross
Less than 70 years later, in 1842, a third cross was erected. The initiative came from a law student in Aix-en-Provence. It was a focus for pilgrimages in Provence, but habitual removal of mementos caused rapid deterioration which, combined with the violence of the mistral lead to its destruction.[1]
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