Dolmen de la Maison des Fées
MonumentHidden Treasure
Dolmen de la Maison des Fées, located in Miré (Maine-et-Loire), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Miré, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.7608, -0.4869
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00109186
Vestige néolithique envoûtant niché dans les bocages du Maine-et-Loire, la Maison des Fées de Miré déploie ses grandes dalles de grès au cœur d'un paysage bucolique, classée Monument Historique depuis 1911.
History
At the turn of a sunken lane bordered by hedgerows, the Maison des Fées dolmen appears like a timeless apparition. Standing in the grounds of Miré, in Maine-et-Loire, this megalithic structure is one of the oldest and most mysterious heritage sites in western France. Its popular name, inherited from the oral tradition of the Anjou region, betrays the fascination it has always held for the local population, who could not imagine builders other than supernatural creatures erecting such blocks of stone. This dolmen is part of a remarkable group of megalithic sites in the Armorican Massif and its margins. The Maine-et-Loire département boasts an exceptional concentration of megaliths, from dolmens to menhirs and covered walkways, bearing witness to intense human activity between 4500 and 2000 BC. The Maison des Fées at Miré is one of the best-preserved examples of this age-old heritage. Visiting the site is a rare experience. To approach these massive slabs, to put your hand on the stone worn by five millennia of existence, is to establish a direct and almost physical link with the men and women who were already shaping this land long before the advent of the great Mediterranean civilisations. The silence of the surrounding bocage, barely disturbed by the wind in the foliage, reinforces this feeling of communion with a dizzying past. The natural setting contributes fully to the magic of the place. Integrated into the rural landscape of the commune of Miré, in the north of the département, the dolmen benefits from an unspoilt environment that magnifies its presence. Meadows, old oak trees and embankments in bloom in spring create a setting worthy of its longevity. Far from the hustle and bustle of tourism, this site is an invitation to contemplate and reflect on the depth of human occupation of these Anjou lands.
Architecture
The Maison des Fées dolmen at Miré belongs to the large family of single-chamber megalithic tombs, an architectural type widespread throughout the Atlantic seaboard of Neolithic France. Its structure is based on the fundamental principle of the classic dolmen: several orthostats - large vertical blocks planted in the ground - support one or more horizontal covering tables, forming an enclosed or semi-enclosed burial chamber. The materials used are local sandstone and granite, hard, resistant rocks that are abundant in the subsoil of the Maine-et-Loire region, chosen for their ability to withstand the test of time without disintegrating. The dimensions of the monument, typical of medium-sized Anjou dolmens, mean that the burial chamber can be estimated at around three to five metres long and one and a half to two metres wide, with the height under the table varying between one and two metres. The covering table, a single slab or made up of two joined elements depending on the current state of preservation, is the centrepiece of the building due to its weight and imposing dimensions. The orientation of the chamber, generally on an east-west axis or slightly offset, could reflect symbolic intentions linked to the solar cycle, a common practice in the megalithic constructions of the Angevin culture. Unlike the large covered walkways of the Saumur region or the corridor burial mounds of the Bagneux type, the Maison des Fées at Miré stands out for its relative formal sobriety, with no elaborate chevet slab or distinctive entrance portico. Nevertheless, the whole structure retains a high degree of structural coherence, and the way the orthostats are arranged bears witness to the care taken in selecting and fitting the blocks, a sign of the advanced technical mastery of its Neolithic builders.
Related Figures
Bâtisseurs néolithiques anonymes de la culture Mégalithique atlantique (vers 3500-2500 av. J.-C.)Érudits et antiquaires angevins du XIXe siècle ayant recensé et décrit le monumentInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le classement de 1911Communautés paysannes médiévales de Miré, créatrices de la légende des fées
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Dolmen de la Maison des Fées located?
Dolmen de la Maison des Fées is located in Miré, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
Is Dolmen de la Maison des Fées open to visitors?
Dolmen de la Maison des Fées is currently closed to visitors.
