Pyramid called La Pennette à La Penne-sur-Huveaune dans les Bouches-du-Rhône

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Origin and history

The pyramid known as La Pennette, also known as Pennelus or Pennelle, is an ancient monument located in La Penne-sur-Huveaune, in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Built of stone bound by a mortar, it is about 8 meters high and has a rectangular base (6 x 2 m) rising in the shape of a pyramid staggered on six levels. Its southern staircase allows access to the summit, and its asymmetrical structure distinguishes it from classical pyramids such as Couhard's or Saqqarah's mastaba. Although its name evokes a Celtic origin ("pen" meaning promontory or mountain), its construction dates from the late 1st century BC, to the period of the Lower Roman Empire. Ranked a historic monument on July 12, 1886, its exact function remains unknown, fuelling several hypotheses.

One of the theories suggests that the Pennelus could be a watchtower or a territorial terminal, as evidenced by the ancient maps: it was mentioned in 1636 under the name "Penelle", on the map of Cassini as "Turcad", and in 1708 as "turn of the Arabs". She was said to have served as a watchdog during the plague epidemic of 1720. Another hypothesis evokes a tomb, after the discovery of two cinerary vats nearby before 1908, although no bodies or sarcophagus were found. Some researchers, such as Bernard Savelli in 2007, have also proposed its medieval integration into the defences of the castle fort of the Lords of Candolle, without explaining its initial use.

Ancient Roman coins found nearby suggest a link to a battle or a votive building. Its Celtic name and its location on an ancient Roman way (now RN 8) reinforce its mystery. The site, located on the Charles-Paya climb, dominates the commune cut off by a mountain range and crossed by the Huveaune. Today a communal property, the Pennelus remains a symbol of the local ancient heritage, surrounded by legends and questions.

La Penne-sur-Huveaune, whose Provencal name La Peno means "wall" or "rock", draws its origins from a history of more than 2,000 years. His initial coat of arms represented a laurel, with reference to the nymph Daphne, linked to the myth of Apollo and to the "god river" Penne. The village, mentioned as early as 1212 in the archives of Saint-Victor Abbey, was long bound to Aubagne before emancipating. The pyramid, with its unique architecture, embodies this complex past, between Roman heritage, Celtic influences and medieval reuse.

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