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Origin and history

The Dolmen called Le Carroir Bon Air, located in Ligré in the department of Indre-et-Loire, is a megalithic monument dated from the Neolithic period (between the fifth and third millennia BC). Ranked as historical monuments in 1889, it stands out for its rectangular 7-metre-long structure, consisting of two collapsed roof stones, supported by four orthostats and two central stones. Local limestone and sandstone materials suggest a close origin. Its attribution to the "angevin" type remains debated because of the lack of formal evidence of a portico or vestibule, characteristic elements of this style.

The dolmen, now isolated in the middle of a field cultivated north of the village of Ligré, was initially surrounded by a peristalith now extinct. No trace of funeral furniture or grave was discovered, limiting the assumptions about its exact use. Owned by the state on private land, it is associated with local legends linking its creation with the paletal games of the giant Gargantua, character of François Rabelais, who allegedly threw these stones from the bell towers of the nearby churches of Ligré and Lémeré.

The protection of the site dates back to 1889, the year it was ranked among the first French historical monuments. This dolmen illustrates the funeral and architectural practices of Neolithic in Touraine, while embodying the regional megalithic heritage. Its present state, although partially collapsed, allows us to study the construction techniques and beliefs of the prehistoric societies of Centre-Val de Loire. Comparisons with other sites, such as Gargantua pallets in Charnizay or Brizay, highlight its integration into a wider megalithic network, marked by rabelese folklore.

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