As a scrupulous historian, Raymond Ginouillac continues his research on the famous cross which has become an Occitan emblem. But what is its origin? The question asked takes us to Antiquity and to various Mediterranean civilizations.
It is in the Middle Ages, in 1150 in Sorgues near Avignon and in 1181, in Mauguio, land dependent on the count of Toulouse Raimond V that it appears in its classic form: “with four equal legs pattées ending in twelve cheekbones or pearls. “
Equal branches are those of the Greek cross, which existed before Christianity.
The number twelve evokes solar radiation and the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Provencal origin
The cross that we call Occitan is indeed the symbol of the power of the Counts of Toulouse which extends from the Garonne to the Rhône and beyond in the marquisate of Provence.
Historians – Raymond Ginouillac quotes them all – agree on the Provencal origin of the cross even if it is called the Toulouse cross or Languedoc cross.
Photos by the author, mostly of seals, coins, sculptures on monuments, coats of arms, illustrate the journey through the history of the cross. Impressive and convincing!
The cross has today become the mark of Occitanity. Cities, region, Occitanist institutions, artists but also commercial brands use it as a marker.
It is engraved on the Place du Capitole in Toulouse, appears on the flag of major events (wine growers of the South, struggles for Larzac) “It is the emblem of Occitania: thirty-three French departments, plus the alpine valleys of Italy of Occitan language, and the Val d’Aran in Spain… Its history has an international dimension and it continues today “, concludes our author, at the end of a beautiful survey.
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