Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The carved stone of Lichessol, often wrongly called statue-menhir, is a monolithic block located in the hamlet of Lichessol, in Saint-Agrève (Ardèche). Originally, this block included a sculpture representing a face on its upper part. It was reused as a building material in the eastern wall of the former village school. In 1979, an accident involving a truck caused his beheading: the lower part remained in situ, while the head was kept at the municipal library of Saint-Agrève.

Ranked a historic monument by decree of 31 May 1961 under the name statue-menhir of Lichessol, this stone arouses debate among experts. Prehistorian Paul Bellin challenges his qualification as a statue-menhir, arguing that sculpture, limited to a face, is neither naive art nor archaic. Bertrand Le Tourneau, for his part, hypothesizes that it would come from a menhir raised in honor of a god of fertility, although this interpretation remains discussed.

Today, Lichessol's carved stone illustrates the challenges of preserving the megalithic heritage, between historical reuse, modern accidents and divergent scientific interpretations. Its classification in 1961 reflects its heritage value, despite the uncertainties surrounding its origin and its primary function.

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