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Origin and history

The menhir dit Pierre Levée de Charbonneau is a megalithic vestige located in La Renaudière, in the department of Maine-et-Loire (Pays de la Loire). Dated from Neolithic, it is distinguished by its original shape, although it has long been hidden by vegetation. Its authenticity, although questionable at first sight because of the many surrounding granite chaos (Granit des Tiffauges), is now recognized as "indisputable" by specialists. It is about 400 metres northeast of another local menhir, the Moulin à Vent de Normandeau.

This monument was officially recognized for its heritage value and listed in the inventory of Historic Monuments by order of 20 October 1983. Its precise location, near the site known as Charbonneau, is referenced in the Merimée database under cadastral code C 681. Menhir is part of a larger set of megalithic sites in Maine-et-Loire, reflecting the human occupation and cultural practices of the region during the Neolithic period.

The Pierre Levée illustrates the challenges of preserving megaliths, often confused with natural formations because of their integration into the landscape. His study is based in particular on the work of Michel Gruet, author of Megalithes en Anjou (2005), who makes a reference to it on page 182. Menhir remains a characteristic example of the funerary or symbolic architecture of this time, although its exact use (ritual, memorial or other) is not explicitly detailed in the available sources.

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