Croix de l'Évangile

The Croix de l'Évangile is a monumental cross in the northeastern part of Paris's 18th arrondissement. It stands on the sidewalk at the intersection of Rue de l'Évangile and Rue d'Aubervilliers, right at the northern exit of the railway viaduct. As the last surviving calvary in the city, it is an important historical and cultural landmark. The monument consists of an elaborately crafted metal crucifix about six and a half feet tall, depicting the Crucifixion of Christ. It rests on a concrete base roughly five feet high, set into a niche in the sidewalk. The cross is surrounded by a semicircular stone wall, behind which lies a small lawn planted with shrubs and flowers. A plaque on the wall tells the story of the site.

The historical significance of the location goes back to 1540, when the cross was first mentioned in a document. It stood on the so-called "Chemin des Vertus," a pilgrimage route that linked the church of Saint-Denis de la Chapelle with the church of Notre-Dame-des-Vertus in Aubervilliers. After being destroyed during the French Revolution, the cross was rebuilt in 1808 and restored several times. The present figure dates from 1860 and is made of cast iron. It combines a cross from a foundry catalog of 1856 with a figure of Christ in the Jansenist style, often attributed to the sculptor Bouchardon. Over time, the monument was moved because of railway construction projects, and it was once sheltered by a stone portico.

Today the Croix de l'Évangile is freely accessible and serves as a place of devotion for local residents, who regularly decorate it with flowers and candles. The site is well connected to public transportation, with the Rosa-Parks RER station just steps away. The cross has also left its mark on culture: it served as the backdrop for a scene in Marcel Carné's 1946 film "Les Portes de la nuit" and was photographed in the 1940s by well-known photographers such as Robert Doisneau and René-Jacques against a backdrop of gasometers.