Croix de la Mission, Rennes

The Mission Cross is a monumental mission cross located on the square of the same name in Rennes, at the confluence of the Ille and Vilaine rivers. It is located at the end of the square Hyacinthe-Lorette whose Duchesne tower occupies the other end.

Like many mission crosses, it was erected on February 14, 1817, on the old Conan square, which became the Place de la Vieille-Monnaie and then the Place de la Mission. It commemorates a mission carried out in 1817 during six weeks.

The cross carries Christ and is placed on a globe surrounded by a serpent. The globe itself stands on a pedestal surrounded by a statue of the Virgin and one of St. John. The cross was designed by Joseph-Marie Gohier, architect for the city of Rennes.

Originally, the monument stood alone in the center of the square, the arms of the cross being finished by fleur-de-lis replaced by balls. The current layout is the result of a restoration carried out by the architect Arthur Regnault where the granite steps, the marble base, the statues of the Virgin and Saint John contribute to the monumentality of the work as well as to the theatricality of the square.