Circle of stones à Séez dans l'Aude

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Origin and history

The cromlech du Petit-Saint-Bernard is a megalithic complex located on the French-Italian border at the Petit-Saint-Bernard pass (2 188 m above sea level) in the commune of Séez (Savoie). Dating from Neolithic, it consists of 46 elongated stones, arranged in a circle over a diameter of 80 meters, at intervals of 2 to 4 meters. Although its exact construction remains uncertain due to subsequent modifications, it is associated with pre-celtic and later Celtic rites, linked to Salasses, ancestors of the Valdôtains. A hypothesis suggests the ancient presence of a central dolmen, destroyed around 1870 when a road was built.

Ranked a historical monument in 1956, the site reveals an astronomical significance: during the summer solstice (21 June), the setting sun illuminates only its center, surrounding the shadow stones. This phenomenon reflects its ritual use linked to solar cycles, a practice common in neolithic societies. Nearby, a later Gaulish temple and local accounts evoke a Columna Jovis (Jupiter column), surmounted by a legendary ruby, now replaced by a statue of Saint Bernard of Menthon.

Ancient sources, such as Petrone (Satyricon, 122), describe the pass as a sacred place dedicated to Hercule Gré, emphasizing its mythological importance since ancient times. Cromlech thus embodies a cultural continuity over more than 4,000 years, from neolithic communities to the Romans. Its access is via the RN90 (French side) or the RN26 (Italian side), from Bourg-Saint-Maurice or La Thuile.

The site is managed jointly by France and Italy, with a precise location in the Merimée base (code Insee 73285, Savoie). Although some stones may have been moved or replaced over the centuries, cromlech remains a remarkable example of alpine megalithism, combined with sacred landscapes and ancestral astronomical practices.

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