Lanterne des morts de Ciron, Historical monument in Ciron, France

The Lanterne des Morts de Ciron is a 12th-century stone lantern column in Ciron, Indre. Its cylindrical shaft, five metres tall, rises from a circular base set on a square platform reached from one side, with carved claws at the corners. A projecting cone decorated with scale patterns crowns it, topped by a cross that replaced an earlier finial. Arched openings below the cone let the lamp's light through, and a stone slab juts out from the shaft like an altar.

The Lanterne des morts de Ciron is a 12th-century monument in the Indre department. It was classified as a monument historique by the list of 1862, one of the earliest French protections of its kind. The lantern kept a light burning above the cemetery that surrounds its square platform.

The lantern still stands on the grounds of an old cemetery called Estrée, at the edge of the village. You can look up at the arched windows near the top and imagine the faint light of an oil lamp shining through them at night.

The monument is freely accessible and located near the center of Ciron, making it easy to reach on foot. There are no facilities on site, so it is best to plan a short visit and bring anything you might need.

Inside the column, there was once a cord and pulley system used to raise a small oil lamp up to the level of the arched windows near the top. The hook that held this mechanism in place has since disappeared, most likely during a cleaning or repair at some point over the centuries.