Last standing mention 1830 (≈ 1830)
Lie still standing according to the sources.
6 juillet 1967
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 6 juillet 1967 (≈ 1967)
Registration by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Menhir dit du Gresil ou de la Gazelle (Box ZO 152): entry by order of 6 July 1967
Key figures
Michel Gruet - Author and researcher
Studyed Anjou's megaliths.
Charles-Tanguy Le Roux - Scientific contributor
Updated the work of Gruet.
Origin and history
The Menhir du Grésil, also known as Menhir de la Gazelle, is a megalithic monument located in the commune of Vaudelnay, Maine-et-Loire. This block of flint stone sandstone, dating from the Bathonian, is 3.75 metres long with a maximum width of 1.60 metres and a thickness of 0.95 metres. When he fell, he lost a fragment that rests nearby. This menhir, now lying down, was still standing around 1830 according to historical sources.
Menhir was listed as a historical monument by order of 6 July 1967. It is currently owned by a private company. This type of monument, typical of megalithism, bears witness to the cultural and religious practices of prehistoric societies in the region. Menhirs, often associated with ritual or commemorative functions, marked the landscape and played a symbolic role in local communities.
The Pays de la Loire region, and more particularly Anjou, has several similar megalithic sites. The Menhir du Gresil is part of this prehistoric architectural heritage, although its exact origin and precise dating remain undetermined. Studies conducted, such as those of Michel Gruet in Megalithes en Anjou (2005), help document these remains, but little specific information on its history or use is available.
