The cross on the Col de la Crouzette (photo), an ancient monument between the Bethmale and Eychelles valleys, was destroyed again over the weekend of August 15, 2025. It was smashed on site, presumably with a sledgehammer. An incomprehensible act that has outraged shepherds and hikers. Beyond its topographical function, the cross had a strong symbolic meaning and was a witness to a heritage passed down from generation to generation.
For twenty-five years, the cross on the Col de la Crouzette, also known as Portet d’Eychelles, has been the target of several acts of vandalism. This stone cross, erected at the crossroads of the Eychelles valley and the summer pastures of Haute Serre in the commune of Bethmale, long marked the transition between the valleys of Bethmale, Soueix,
In 2001, the original cross was stolen. Two years later, a new cross, carved from stone quarried below the Col de la Core on the Seix side, was erected in the same place.
The work is by Thierry Galey, a resident of Samortein-en-Bethmale and a draughtsman in the aeronautical industry in Toulouse. In 2004, this new cross was blessed by Abbé Jean Fauroux, who was already known for blessing the cross on Mont Valier. At the time, the mayor of Bethmale was confident: ‘The perpetrators had better arm themselves with chisels and hammers to tear it down.’ […]