France: The statue of Our Lady of Monts d’Or and the Infant Jesus has been decapitated
The statue of the Virgin Mary holding the Baby Jesus in her arms is located on the Chemin de la Péronière in the small village of Poleymieux-au-Mont-d’Or (Rhône). It is believed to have been destroyed during the night of Sunday 3rd to Monday 4th May. The work, which dates from around 1938, was smashed with a sledgehammer or another tool powerful enough to shatter the stone. An investigation is underway, as Le Progrès has learnt.
The scene is shocking. At the junction of the La Peronière and Planchamp paths, the headless Virgin Mary holds her equally decapitated child in her arms. A metal rod protrudes from his bust, and the facial features of both figures lie at his feet on the stone plinth, where the inscription ‘Our Lady of Mont-d’Or’ is carved. Other debris is scattered across the ground.
The mayor of this town of 1,300 inhabitants, Corinne Cardona, has filed a complaint, and the gendarmerie will attempt to find out who might have damaged this religious monument. The mayor has also launched an appeal for witnesses among the town’s residents. “We have had many responses from angry and shocked people,” she said.
https://medforth.biz/france-the-statue-of-our-lady-of-monts-dor-and-the-infant-jesus-has-been-decapitated/
