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Origin and history

The Menhir de la Tonnelle is a megalithic monument located in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, in the Vendée department, in the Pays de la Loire region. Originally, it was erected at the place called Bussoleries de la Tonnelle, in the neighbouring commune of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. This menhir, typical of the Neolithic period, was moved and rearranged several times during the twentieth century.

In 1906, Marcel Baudouin, a local archaeologist, raised the menhir, which, however, was overthrown again in 1913. Baudouin acquired it in 1918 and placed it near his grave in the cemetery of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. The monument, at a height of 3.60 metres (including 0.50 m buried), was classified as historical monuments in 1921, despite its unstable state.

Menhir, now owned by the commune, is a testimony of the funeral and cultural practices of Neolithic in the region. Its displacement and relocation near the tomb of Marcel Baudouin illustrate the late interest in preserving the prehistoric remains in Vendée. It remains a key element of the local megalithic heritage, accessible within the cemetery.

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