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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The alignment of Saint-Denec, listed as a historical monument in 1923, is a megalithic site located in Porspoder, Finistère. Until the 1930s, it consisted of two groups of menhirs, each associated with a lying stone. Today, only one menhir remains in the first group, while the second keeps a standing menhir and a carved slab of two eroded axes.

The two menhirs still standing are about 3 meters high and are 9.50 meters apart, aligned on a south-west/north-east axis. The lying slab of the second group presents axe engravings, typical symbols of Neolithic. These blocks, in local granite, bear witness to funeral or ritual practices of the time.

The site suffered damage in the 20th century, including the destruction of a slab by an agricultural owner, despite its ranking. The axe sculptures, although very eroded, remain a rare example of megalithic art in the region. Their study provides a better understanding of the techniques and beliefs of the Neolithic communities of Brittany.

The alignment of Saint-Denec is part of a wider set of megalithic sites in Finistère, illustrating the importance of this region in European prehistory. Its ranking in 1923 underscores its heritage value, although its precise location remains approximate according to available sources.

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