Mont-Calvaire de Sombacour

Jaunotte makes you discover the Mont-Calvaire in Sombacour, a place full of emotions for Jaunotte (a small tribute to her friend Carmella who loved this place).

The Mont-Calvaire
The Way of the Cross for some, the Calvary for others (name of the place), or even Mount Calvary for the uninitiated. You just have to raise your head, let yourself be invaded by its history, climb a little to discover all its splendour and wealth. The site has been classified as a historical monument since 23 August 1989, and has been awarded the title of "20th Century Heritage" by the Ministry of Culture.

But let's go back to its history! It was on the initiative of Constant Perrot, the parish priest of Sombacour from 1864 to 1902, that it was enhanced with a statue of the Virgin Mary with angels in 1872, and then with a first wooden Way of the Cross in 1873. The present oratory of the Virgin was erected in 1879. The stone Way of the Cross was designed and built by the Guillin company of Mouthier-Haute-Pierre between 1891 and 1895. The thirteen neoclassical bas-reliefs line the hill to the left of the Col des Roches. They were built according to the donations of the inhabitants of the village. On each station, it is still possible to read the name of the generous patron.

Christ carved in stone
In 1956, the large rock dominating the complex was excavated. Inside it, there is a recumbent Christ sculpted in stone by Master Charles Auffret, a French sculptor who was born on 1 July 1929 in Besançon and died in 2001. A former student of the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris, he won the Grand Prix de Rome.
In order to pay tribute to those who made the Way of the Cross, a plaque can be seen at the foot of the route, reminding visitors of the memory of the Guillin brothers and Charles Auffret.

Until a few years ago, the procession took place on 15 August. "It was a moment in the summer that we all knew and expected since our childhood. Blame it on the weather, blame it on waning beliefs, it was also a time when Mont-Calvaire was highlighted at night, with hundreds of people holding lit candles and singing the Ave Maria as they descended.

Sources: L'Est Républicain & Frédéric DELGRANDI for AVPEC Vuillecin