JUSTICE CROSS – LE MALZIEU-VILLE

The seat of the Mercoeur barony, Le Malzieu was a town of justice dependent on Riom in Auvergne, unlike the rest of Gévaudan which fell under the jurisdiction of Languedoc. Many lawyers lived there. The cross in the market square testifies to the town's former function. Standing six meters tall, it is a cross erected on a five-stepped pedestal, which also served as the town's former pillory. On its eastern face is a hand of justice, now defaced. This cross could date from the 14th century, but no inscription confirms this. It is known as the "cross of justice" because of the close link between the administration of justice and this symbol. This cross may bear witness to the bitter conflicts that often surrounded the administration of justice. In Gévaudan, these included the Bishop of Mende and the other barons who fiercely contested the prerogative of justice between 1307 and 1789.