Classification as Historic Monument 6 février 1923 (≈ 1923)
Legal protection of carved rock.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Carved rock (named the Shell): by order of 6 February 1923
Origin and history
The carved rock, nicknamed the Shell, is a vestige located on the Taillades estate in Fontvieille, in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Although its main period was associated with the Gallo-Roman era, traces of construction also date back to Prehistory. This monument, classified by ministerial decree in 1923, illustrates the superposition of periods and uses on the same site, typical of regions rich in history like Provence.
The location of the site, noted as fair (level 5/10) in the databases, places the rock in a rural setting close to the emblematic landscapes of the Alpilles. GPS coordinates and administrative address (9001 Les Taillades) confirm its anchoring in the territory of Fontvieille, a commune linked to Provencal history since Antiquity. No specific information is available on its original use or sculptors, but its classification as a Historic Monument underlines its heritage importance.
Available sources, such as Monumentum, mention strict legal protection, without detailing the exact motives for its creation or modifications over the centuries. The lack of data on specific characters or events related to the rock limits the understanding of its precise historical context, but its current state makes it a silent witness to successive civilizations that have marked the region.
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