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Origin and history

The Dolmen de la Fontaine, located on the commune of Saint-Léger-de-Montbrillais in the department of Vienna (New Aquitaine), is a megalithic building dated from Neolithic. It is an angelvin type dolmen with portico, oriented to the northeast, built of sandstone slabs. The ensemble is about 7.50 meters long, with a funeral chamber of 4.80 meters by 2.20 meters. The cover table, now broken in two parts, is based on three orthostats, while a fourth is reversed. A fifth block, visible under the table, could be the bedside slab.

The Dolmens de la Fontaine, also known as the Dolmens de la Fontaine-Desson or the Fontaine Balleron, have been classified as historical monuments since 26 October 1955. Although partially ruined, the monument retains an imposing 6-metre-long, 4.50-metre-wide cover table, supported by five pillars. Several blocks scattered around the building suggest a missing antechamber. According to ancient plans, notably those drawn up by Le Touzé de Longuemar in the 19th century, the dolmen was already damaged at that time, without any major changes being observed since then.

No archaeological material has been found in connection with this dolmen, which limits knowledge of its precise use and associated funeral practices. However, today's vestiges make it possible to appreciate the architecture characteristic of the angeline dolmens, typical of the region. The site remains an important testimony of the megalithic constructions of the Neolithic in Poitou-Charentes, now integrated into New Aquitaine.

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