A cemetery saved from oblivion.

The old, abandoned cemetery at Le brignon, located south east of the church, presented a scene of desolation until 2023, overgrown by weeds and brush. The burial site was too small and could not be expanded at the beginning of the 20th century. It was abandoned in the 1920s following the creation of the new cemetery. The exhumation and transfer of coffins and human remains was carried out in the years that followed. Since that date, all that was left were the tombstones, which had either been scattered or had fallen over.

A titanic and meticulous project.

This major project was carried out during the year 2023 and was carried out with particular care and attention in order to respect the dignity due to the deceased who may still be buried there, unknown to us. A large number of funerary monuments and gravestones, from the most humble to the most elaborate, now stand facing the sky. Crosses chiselled and sculpted with finesse and carefully re-welded cast iron elements. The flat basalt gravestones found underneath the vegetation are the oldest graves, and they are undoubtedly from the medieval period. The presence of such disparate elements is explained by different eras. The General Contractor patiently rebuilt the high dry stone wall (partly collapsed) surrounding the cemetery. Basalt walled terraced gardens were laid out, with intertwining paths. Between the top and bottom of the cemetery, the difference in altitude is three and a half meters. A memorial tour is structured around five sculptures called “the Great Witnesses” created by the artist Pierre Rousseau. The history of this site and the Parish is explained by them.

An enigmatic stone.

One of the stone slabs found to your right, is very enigmatic. A reclining figure covered in a chasuble and wearing a pallium can be seen on this basalt slab with broken edges. He is represented with his hands clasped on his upper chest, with a sort of staff, his head covered with a hood. Is he a prior, a monk, a bishop? The question remains unanswered. However, the staff is nothing like a normal crosier. Historians speak of a mysterious stone dating from the 17th century bearing the effigy of Prior André Séjalon.

One of the oldest tombstones with twin crosses is just behind you. It was cut out from welded slag and can be recognized by its reddish hue.

In the old venerable wall which borders the cemetery to the east, a craftsman engraved his name and the date of construction in 1660 on a stone.