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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Demoiselles de Langon form a megalithic site located on a plateau at an altitude of 50 m in the commune of Langon (Ille-et-Vilaine). Originally composed of more than 40 monoliths according to the surveys of P. Bézier (1883) and L. Collin (1930s), it now comprises 29 menhirs (23 in white quartz, 5 in shale, 1 in sandstone) organized in oval and curved alignments, as well as a rectangular tubular tertre. Urbanisation partially destroyed the site, making its interpretation difficult.

The main alignment, 45 m long and 35 m wide, follows a south-west/north-east axis, surrounded by partially concentric curved lines. Originally, three funeral enclosures existed, one 17 m in diameter with a central menhir. Today, only one terre remains, reduced to 7 blocks from 0.50 to 0.70 m high. The site, a communal property, was classified as a historical monument on August 24, 1976.

According to local tradition, menhirs would represent young girls petrified for dancing a Sunday instead of attending vespers. This folklore illustrates the symbolic appropriation of megaliths by rural communities. Archaeological studies, such as those of P. Bézier or Yvan Onnée (2004), highlight the importance of the site in the Breton megalithic landscape, despite its fragmentary state.

The materials used (white quarter, shale, sandstone) and block layout suggest both astronomical and funerary function. Menhirs, of irregular forms, could mark solar or lunar alignments, a hypothesis reinforced by their orientation. The tumular terter, typical of the Neolithic, indicates a sepulchral vocation, although excavations did not allow to specify associated ritual practices.

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