The 12th-century Lanterne des morts of Cellefrouin

The Lanterne des morts of Cellefrouin is a Roman-style structure that towers more than twelve meters above a five-stepped base. Dating from the end of the 12th century, the monument features a pedestal of four courses supporting a bundle of eight columns. Four of these columns are larger than the others, and their bases are equipped with 'bases à griffes' or claw bases. The columns are topped with eight receding courses forming sculpture-free capitals, all crowned by a conical clocheton with a ball and a cross.

The cone is covered with triangular stones in pine cone scales, which were small flat limestone stones called platins. At the base of this cone are four small rectangular windows, one positioned above each large column, designed to radiate the light of the lantern around the building. A fifth, smaller opening near the middle of the cone allows smoke to escape. Historically, a lantern was hoisted into a niche three meters high within one of the columns, with an iron hook remaining inside until the 19th century.

Located in the cemetery of Cellefrouin in the Charente department, the monument's orientation toward the four valleys of Son, Sonnette, Bonnieure, and Tardoire suggests it may have served as a landmark for lost people to find the Saint-Pierre abbey. However, these structures are traditionally known for their religious role in witnessing the immortality of the soul and calling for prayers for the dead. The pedestal was reconstructed in 1828 using salvaged tomb stones, and the monument was classified as a historical monument in 1886.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons