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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Menhir de la Limuzinière is a megalithic monument located in Chauché, in the department of Vendée (Pays de la Loire). Built in sandstone in a loop of the Petite Maine River, it is 2.50 metres high. Its location, called Champ-aux-Pierres, and the proximity of a farmhouse named La Pierre suggest a symbolic or practical meaning for local neolithic populations. Polished stone axes, discovered in the neighboring field (Champ des Vieilleries), are now preserved at the Dobbrée Museum in Nantes, attesting to an ancient human occupation in the area.

The menhir was classified as historic monuments by order of 7 February 1984, thereby recognizing its heritage value. Its precise location, at 5710 Route de la Limuzinière, is documented in the Merimée database under the code Insee 85064. Although little information details its exact use, its presence is part of a wider network of megalithic Vendean sites, studied in particular in Bertrand Poissonnier's Prehistoric Vendée (1997).

The site does not benefit from a precise GPS location (estimated accuracy of 5/10), but its river environment and associated artifacts provide leads to understand the agricultural and ritual practices of the prehistoric communities of the region. No mention is made of formal public access or tourist services linked to the monument.

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