The of the cross saint roch

1 Name: Menhir of the Cross-Saint-Roch Name of location : Saint-Nectaire Owner : private

GPS: Latitude : 45.586179 Longitude : 2.978282 Altitude : 817 meters

Access: In Saint-Nectaire, follow by car the GR 30 road in the direction of Murol and Mount Cornadore. At the intersection, leave the GR and take the path on the left. The menhir is on the right 100 meters further.

Length of itinerary : On foot 25/30 min from the village.

Facilities : parking at Saint-Nectaire.

Location of artwork : Small meadow around the menhir.

Description of the site :

The menhir is in basalt and is located on a small mound of land. It is 2.20 meters high. At his foot, there is another flat stone.

Monolith dating from . It owes its name to the iron cross dedicated to Saint-Roch which was stuck in a round stone (probably of Gallo-Roman origin), in medieval times. This is another example of the Clergy's appropriation of 'pagan' and cults.

On the Sunday following the feast of Saint Roch, the people of Saint Nectaire and Sapchat went processionally to this menhir, called for this fact "cross of Saint Roch." They came there to fulfill a wish, made formerly to the saint by the ancestors, at the time of a terrible plague, and after which the plague had suddenly ceased.The relics were deposited on a table of which is at the feet of the menhir: the crowd knelt while standing near the , the priest asked God, in remembrance of the vow of the ancestors, to bless the people prostrate before him, the fields and harvests which extended far, the animals finally, servants and nourishers of the man and to distance all the plagues.

The town of Saint-Nectaire hosts 6 : 2 and 4 . If we take a line roughly north / south, we will also find the Sigurian dolmen to the south, (beautiful stone with a cup parallel to a telluric current marked by the grass of different colors), then a beautiful gate of life on the other side of the valley (in the distance Castle Murol), then Saint Roch.

Technical features of the site : Direct access from the road. The menhir being protected, it is not possible to dig a single hole around the menhir, to anchor elements or to paint on the menhir.

Best point : A place steeped in history that is discovered by taking the height of a walk with beautiful views of the surroundings.

2

the dolmen of Sapchat, at 2 km

View on Murol castle and Sancy mountains

3

LOCATION – IGN CARD