Cromlech de Lorette
MonumentHidden Treasure
Cromlech de Lorette, located in Le Quillio (Département 22), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Le Quillio, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.2426, -2.9077
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089552
A circle of standing stones erected in the Neolithic period in the wilds of Le Quillio, the Cromlech de Lorette is one of the few listed cromlechs in Brittany, a silent witness to a forgotten ritual over 5,000 years old.
History
Hidden away in the moors and woods of central Brittany, the Cromlech de Lorette is one of the most discreet and bewitching megalithic remains in the Côtes-d'Armor region. Unlike the spectacular alignments at Carnac or the much-publicised dolmens in Morbihan, this circle of standing stones belongs to that category of monuments that are discovered almost by accident, at the bend in a path, and which have all the more effect on the informed visitor. The cromlech - from the Breton krom, "curve", and lech, "stone place" - is a rare architectural form in the French megalithic inventory. The Le Quillio site features a group of granite blocks arranged in a circular or semi-circular pattern, characteristic of monuments probably used for ceremonial or astronomical purposes. The layout of the stones, even if only partially preserved, reveals a remarkable mastery of geometry and topography on the part of the Neolithic populations who built it. The visit is above all a sensory experience: the silence of the Armorican moors, the grey lichen that covers the pink granite blocks, the low-angled morning or evening light that lengthens the shadows of the component menhirs - everything contributes to creating a timeless atmosphere. This is a far cry from the tourist crowds: here, the monument has to be earned, and this very bareness reinforces its evocative power. The natural setting of Le Quillio, a rural commune in Central Brittany nestling between forests and hedged farmland, contributes fully to the magic of the place. The surrounding vegetation, made up of ferns, broom and stunted oaks, recreates a landscape that is probably close to the one experienced by the Neolithic builders. For photographers, historians and walkers in search of authenticity, the Cromlech de Lorette offers a rare opportunity to experience prehistory in Brittany, far removed from museum reconstructions.
Architecture
The Lorette Cromlech belongs to the family of circular megalithic monuments known as cromlechs, which are distinguished from rectilinear alignments and oval enclosures. It is made up of a series of blocks of local granite - the dominant rock in the subsoil of the Côtes-d'Armor region - arranged in an arc or complete circle, with an estimated diameter of between ten and thirty metres, in line with the usual dimensions of Armorian cromlechs. The stones, which vary in height from a few dozen centimetres to almost a metre and a half for the most remarkable, are set vertically into the ground, some with a slight incline due to thousands of years of soil compaction. The raw material is a medium-grained granite typical of the Armorican massif, with bluish-grey and pinkish tones depending on exposure. The blocks have only undergone a minimum of cutting - roughing them out to make them easier to place - which is typical of the megalithic tradition, which values nature's roughness. The surface of the stones, now covered in lichen and moss, bears witness to a patina dating back several millennia. Spatially, the cromlech defines an interior space potentially devoted to collective ritual practices, the centre of which may have been marked by a taller stone, now lost or buried. The orientation of the complex, as is often the case with this type of monument, could coincide with remarkable astronomical phenomena - sunrise or sunset on the solstices - a hypothesis that remains to be verified by an archaeo-astronomical study specific to the site.
Related Figures
Prosper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments historiques au XIXe siècle, pionnier du recensement des mégalithes bretonsAurèle de Fréminville — antiquaire breton du XIXe siècle, l'un des premiers à décrire et cartographier les monuments mégalithiques des Côtes-du-NordPaul du Châtellier — archéologue finistérien dont les travaux ont inspiré la reconnaissance patrimoniale des cromlechs armoricainsZacharie Le Rouzic — archéologue morbihannais, référence de l'étude des cercles de pierres bretons au début du XXe siècleLes bâtisseurs néolithiques anonymes — communautés agropastorales du IVe-IIIe millénaire av. J.-C., véritables architectes du monument
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cromlech de Lorette located?
Cromlech de Lorette is located in Le Quillio, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Cromlech de Lorette open to visitors?
Cromlech de Lorette is currently closed to visitors.
