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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The covered walkway of Clos-er-Bé, also known as the covered walkway of the Net, is a megalithic monument located in Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys, Morbihan. His Breton name, Clos-er-Bé ("the grave fields"), reflects his funeral vocation. Found in 1921 by Zacharie Le Rouzic and the Pequart husbands, it was classified as a historical monument in 1923. Originally, it had thirty-four orthostats and four cover tables, although partially damaged by carriers. Its tumulus, now extinct, had been levelled by agricultural work.

In a length of 22 metres for 1.80 metres wide, the gangway consists of an antechamber and a chamber separated by transverse orthostats. The floor of the chamber was paved, and Gallo-Roman remains (potteries, bricks, statuettes) were discovered, suggesting further reuse. Prior to the excavations, the site was congested with boulders from nearby fields, and the archaeological layer had been disturbed by earlier intrusions.

Several menhirs once surrounded the driveway, two of which still remain: the Menhir de Clos-er-Bé (40 meters south-west) and the Petit Menhir du Net (250 meters north). Zacharias The Rouzic reports that a neighbouring owner would have seen his father bury similar blocks in his land, confirming the past presence of other megaliths. These elements illustrate the importance of the site in a larger megalithic landscape, typical of the Breton Neolithic.

The covered walkway of Clos-et-Bé embodies both a testimony of neolithic funeral practices and a subsequent reappropriation to the Gallo-Roman era. Its ranking in 1923 underscores its heritage value, despite the alterations suffered over the centuries. Today, it remains a remarkable example of Breton megalithic architecture, linked to networks of menhirs today partially disappeared.

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