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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Menhir de la Gree in Midi is a megalithic vestige located in Sion-les-Mines, in the Loire-Atlantique department. Originally, it was part of a set of four quartz stones, all lying on the ground near the mill of the Gree in Midi. These stones, whose exact disposition remains unknown, bear witness to the funeral or ritual practices of Neolithic in this region.

In 1853, the fourth stone, located most east, was moved and straightened about 3 km northeast of its original location, near the D1 departmental road linking Zion-les-Mines to Lusanger. This menhir, of conical shape and measuring 2.50 m in height for a base of 2 m wide, was erected in the southwest corner of a monument dedicated to the Virgin. Its transportation and recovery illustrate the growing interest in prehistoric remains in the 19th century.

The menhir was classified as historic monuments by order of 13 April 1929, thereby recognizing its heritage value. This classification is part of a broader approach to preserving the megalithic sites of Loire-Atlantique, a region rich in testimonies of this period. Today, there remains a remarkable example of local megalithic architecture, although its current location is not the original one.

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