Construction of menhir Néolithique (≈ 4100 av. J.-C.)
Estimated time of erection.
5 mai 1978
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 5 mai 1978 (≈ 1978)
Official protection by order.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Pitre de Lisle du Dreneuc - Archaeologist and author
Described the menhir in 1882.
Joseph Rousse - Local poet
Inspired by the floral tradition.
Origin and history
The Menhir de la Pierre Attelée is a megalithic monument located in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, in the Loire-Atlantique department, in the Pays de la Loire region. Built during the Neolithic period, it is distinguished by its height of 2.79 metres, its width of 1.40 metres and its thickness of 1 metre, in quartz sandstone. It is deeply buried in the soil according to the observations of Pitre de Lisle du Dreneuc, author of a local archaeological dictionary published in 1882.
The menhir was temporarily christianized by the addition of a cross on a masonry base at its top. A local spring tradition was to decorate its top with flower garlands, a practice that inspired Joseph Rousse's poem Le menhir. Ranked a historic monument since May 5, 1978, it now belongs to a private company.
Historical sources also mention its role in local folklore and its inclusion in studies on the megalithic sites of Loire-Atlantique. Its exact location, near the path of the Reveau, is documented in the Mérimée and Monumentum bases, although its precise address sometimes causes debate between Saint-Brevin-les-Pins and Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef.
