The huguenot cross

Its origins remain mysterious. It seems that it was imagined by the goldsmith Maystre who lived in Nîmes, street of the Market, 4, in 1688 (three years after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes). Its success was immediate, more especially as it escaped persecutions because it derived from one official and catholic decoration (the cross of the order of the Holy Spirit). In addition, it made it possible to have on oneself a cross different from the hated catholic cross.

The huguenot cross, called thus since the end of the XIXth century, is made up of a Maltese cross, the branches are connected between them by a circular decoration which, on the one hand, points out the crown of spines of the Christ crucified and which, on the other hand, form between each branch a heart, symbol of the love of Jesus for us and also recall of his command Love one another... (John XIII,34). The points at the ends of each branch are round in the shape of balls and eight like the blisses.

In bottom, the dove into pendentive represents obviously the Holy Spirit which goes down from the sky on us.