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Origin and history

The covered street of Castel-Ruffel is a megalithic building located in Saint-Goazec, Finistère, Brittany. It is 282 metres above sea level, close to the top of the Menez an Duc, and is oriented on a south-east/north-east axis. Composed of nine arched shale slabs two by two, it forms an edge roof and extends 12 metres in length for a height ranging from 2 to 2.30 metres. This type of construction, although rare, finds equivalents such as covered driveway from Lesconil to Poullan-sur-Mer.

The covered alley was first mentioned in 1843, then searched in 1892 by Baron Halna du Fretay. It is classified as a historical monument by order of 9 May 1914. Nearby is a prehistoric camp, consisting of two concentric elliptic enclosures of 80 and 100 meters of large axis, consisting of piled stones without binder. This site is located on a nipple, one of the highest peaks of the Black Mountains.

According to a local legend, the covered driveway would have been the home of a giant living in the ancient castle of Castel-Ruffel. Furious to learn that his valet had seduced his daughter, the giant would have ripped slabs from the monument to throw them at the fugitive lovers. The stones, missing their target, would have dispersed in the moor of Saint John, west of the site.

Historical sources, including the work of Yohann Sparfel and Yvan Pailler (2011), confirm the archaeological significance of the site. The covered alley of Castel-Ruffel illustrates the funeral and architectural practices of Neolithic in Brittany, while being associated with a local folklore rich in mythological narratives.

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