Allée couverte
MonumentHidden Treasure
Allée couverte, located in Baud (Département 56), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Baud, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.8484, -3.0409
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091015
A silent Neolithic vestige nestled in the Morbihan, this covered walkway in Baud unfurls its thousand-year-old granite slabs with striking sobriety - a gateway to five thousand years of Breton humanity.
History
In the heart of Morbihan, a department that megalithic specialists consider to be one of the richest in Europe in terms of prehistoric monuments, the covered alleyway at Baud stands out as a rare and moving testimony to the Neolithic societies that populated Armorica nearly five millennia ago. Far from the tourist crowds of Carnac or Locmariaquer, this site retains an atmosphere of authenticity and contemplation that heritage lovers particularly appreciate. The structure, characteristic of the architectural type known as the "covered alley" or "sepulchral alley", is distinguished by its rigorous design: heavy orthostatic slabs of local granite, carefully set up in two parallel rows, support horizontal cover slabs forming a funerary corridor. This architectural device, both simple and remarkably effective, testifies to the technical mastery and social organisation of the builders of the Late Neolithic period. Visiting the covered walkway at Baud means immersing yourself in a typical Central Brittany landscape, where the gentle hills contrast with the rough minerality of the granite. The monument blends into the surrounding vegetation, creating the singular impression that time has stood still. The low-angled light of the morning or the golden hues of late afternoon magnify the mossy surfaces of the megaliths and reveal the roughness of the rock. Protected as a Historic Monument since 1971, the site benefits from official recognition that guarantees its preservation for future generations. This classification testifies to the importance that the heritage authorities attach to these stone architectures, a founding expression of Breton identity well before Celtic and medieval times. Whether you're an amateur archaeologist, an inquisitive walker or simply a stroller in search of serenity, the covered walkway at Baud offers an intimate, in-depth experience, far removed from the beaten track. A monument for those who know that greatness is not always measured in scale.
Architecture
The covered alleyway at Baud belongs to the family of megalithic monuments of the "sepulchral alley" type, characteristic of the Armorican Final Neolithic (3000-2000 BC). Its structure is based on the universal principle of corbelled and orthogonal architecture: vertical slabs (orthostates) made of local granite, carefully selected for their flatness and strength, define two parallel side walls forming a corridor oriented, traditionally along an east-west axis or north-east/south-west for Breton covered walkways. These orthostats are topped by horizontal cover slabs, whose considerable weight - several tonnes for the most massive - ensures the cohesion and strength of the whole without the use of any binding agents. The general layout corresponds to the classic Morbihan covered alley layout: an elongated corridor eight to fifteen metres long, with an internal width of around one to one-and-a-half metres, for the successive burial of the deceased. The entrance, generally marked by a slab pierced by a circular hole known as a "porthole" or "oculus" in the most complete examples from the region, distinguishes the burial chamber from the world of the living. The internal height, around one metre twenty to one metre fifty, imposes a bent posture on anyone entering the sepulchral space, emphasising the initiatory nature of the passage. The materials used are exclusively local: Armorican granite, a metamorphic rock of great hardness and excellent durability, omnipresent in the subsoil of Morbihan. No metal tools were used in the extraction or shaping of the slabs, which were made by percussion, taking advantage of the natural joints in the rock. The grey and ochre patina of the surfaces, colonised by lichens and mosses, bears witness to the monument's deep integration into its natural environment over several millennia.
Related Figures
Bâtisseurs néolithiques anonymes du groupe culturel de Seine-Oise-Marne (3000-2500 av. J.-C.)Érudits de la Société Polymathique du Morbihan (XIXe siècle), premiers recenseurs scientifiquesProsper Mérimée, Inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, initiateur des premières protections mégalithiques bretonnesZacharie Le Rouzic, archéologue breton du début du XXe siècle, grand inventorieur des mégalithes du MorbihanJacques Briard, préhistorien breton contemporain, spécialiste de l'Âge du Bronze et des mégalithes armoricains
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Allée couverte located?
Allée couverte is located in Baud, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Allée couverte open to visitors?
Allée couverte is currently closed to visitors.