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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The alignment of St.Barbe is a megalithic complex located in Plouharnel, Morbihan, near the famous sites of Carnac. Originally made up of about fifty menhirs, it was partially destroyed in the 19th century, especially during the construction of the railway line from Auray to Quiberon in 1888, where some stones were reused. Despite attempts to preserve, such as Henry Martin's 1879 proposal for a state takeover, only part of the menhirs was acquired in 1883, leaving the site vulnerable to degradation.

In 1889 Albert Macé found that only 16 of the 50 initial menhirs were still standing, denouncing irreversible vandalism. The Morbihan Polymathic Society intervened to obtain a first partial classification of historical monuments that same year, limited to the four menhirs already owned by the state. A second ranking in 1923 extended protection to 27 other menhirs. Today, the site retains 37 visible menhirs, organized in two parallel rows and a cross-section, forming an open rectangular enclosure.

The stones, all of granite, cover an area of about 1 hectare. Their arrangement suggests an intentional structure, with larger menhirs in the northwest and increased spacing to the southeast. Historical destructions and material removals have altered the original integrity of the site, but its ranking has preserved a significant portion of this megalithic Breton heritage.

Historical sources, such as the works of Philippe Gouézin (2007) and the archives of the Revue de Bretagne and Vendée (1889), document conservation efforts and losses. The photographs of Zacharie Le Rouzic, pioneer of local archaeology, also testify to the state of the site before its massive degradation. Today, the alignment of St.Barbe remains an emblematic example of the challenges posed by the preservation of megalithic monuments in the context of modernization.

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