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Origin and history

The Menhir des Demoiselles, nicknamed the Pierre Debout, is located at the place called the Pierre, in the commune of Colombiers-sur-Seulles (Calvados, Normandy). Although traditionally associated with Neolithic (circa 3500–4000 B.C.), its exact origin remains debated: its regular form and location on an ancient Roman way suggest that it could act as a milestone rather than a menhir. A cup is visible at its top, and Merovingian burials have been discovered nearby.

In 1845, the stone was broken and overturned under the weight of the pilgrims who were climbing as part of wedding rituals. After its fall, the base disappeared, but the upper part was sealed on a concrete base to restore its original height. This monument, an object of local religious worship, was classified as historical monuments in 1889, and its surroundings were protected as an archaeological site in 1914.

According to the tradition reported by Léon Coutier, the young girls on pilgrimage to Notre-Dame de la Délivrande climbed to the top of the menhir to deposit coins, hoping to find a husband in the year. The marks of wear visible on the stone testify to this practice. Several other stones erected along the Roman way, initially considered as menhirs, could in fact be military pillars, such as those of the Manoir (Creully) or the Planches (Amblio).

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