Dolmen dit La-Pierre-aux-Fées
Monument
Dolmen dit La-Pierre-aux-Fées, located in Reignier (Département 74), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Reignier, Département 74, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 46.1297, 6.2917
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00118421
A listed Neolithic site since 1910, the Pierre-aux-Fées in Reignier stands with its slabs of Savoy molasse in a setting of Alpine greenery. One of the rare dolmens in the northern Pre-Alps, it is steeped in mystery and legend.
History
At the gateway to the Genevan region of Haute-Savoie, the Pierre-aux-Fées at Reignier is one of the most northerly megalithic monuments in the French Alps. Far from the large concentrations of Dolmenites in Brittany or Languedoc, this Neolithic site is surprisingly well situated: at an altitude of over 500 metres, in a landscape dominated by the peaks of the Salève and the foothills of the Jura, it bears witness to dense, organised prehistoric human occupation in areas long considered marginal for these cultures. The structure itself commands respect. Erected from large slabs of molasse, the soft limestone characteristic of the Savoyard substratum, the burial chamber retains its essential architecture: a collective burial space delimited by vertical orthostats and topped by a covering table that probably weighed several tonnes. The sobriety of the structure in no way detracts from the technical prowess it represents: moving, erecting and assembling such blocks without metal tools remains one of the fascinating enigmas of European prehistory. The visitor experience is intimate and unique. Unlike large megalithic sites designed for mass tourism, La Pierre-aux-Fées offers a direct, almost confidential, encounter with the monument. You can walk around it, observe the texture of the stones, and feel the orientation carefully chosen by its builders - traditionally aligned with significant solar or astronomical axes. The site is as much an invitation to contemplate as it is to reflect on the depth of human history. The natural setting contributes to the special atmosphere of the site. The surrounding meadows and woodland, with the recognisable silhouette of the Salève as a backdrop, give the visit a landscape dimension that megalithic sites on the plains don't always have. In the early hours of the morning, when the low-angled light highlights the crevices of the slabs, the dolmen reveals an almost magnetic presence. Photographers and enthusiasts of heritage walks will find the site to their liking, while families can enjoy a free, unrestricted approach.
Architecture
La Pierre-aux-Fées belongs to the category of simple dolmens, or dolmens with a reduced corridor, a funerary type characteristic of the western Alpine arc. The burial chamber is made up of orthostats - vertical slabs set in the ground - forming an elongated or polygonal space designed to accommodate successive collective burials. The covering table, a large horizontal slab resting on the uprights, defines the profile that is so characteristic of these monuments, which have survived the millennia. The whole structure is built from molasse, a limestone sandstone of lacustrine origin that is abundant in the subsoil of Haute-Savoie, and whose relative ease of cutting may have facilitated the extraction of the blocks while offering sufficient resistance over the centuries. The dimensions of the monument, which are typical of Alpine dolmens, suggest a chamber around 2 to 3 metres long and 1.5 to 2 metres wide, with an interior height that allows bodies to be deposited without standing room. This volumetric sobriety contrasts with the monumental covered walkways of the Atlantic facade, but nonetheless reveals a total mastery of megalithic construction principles: balance of loads, choice of location on stable ground, calculated orientation. Despite the millennia of erosion, the complex retains a remarkable architectural legibility, allowing visitors to immediately understand its structural logic and original funerary purpose.
Related Figures
Populations néolithiques du Genevois (4500-2000 av. J.-C.) — bâtisseurs anonymes du dolmenGabriel de Mortillet (1821-1898) — préhistorien savoyard, pionnier du classement des mégalithes alpinsÉdouard Desor (1811-1882) — naturaliste et archéologue, explorateur des sites préhistoriques de l'arc lémaniqueÉrudits de la Société Florimontane d'Annecy (XIXe s.) — premiers inventoriants des mégalithes haut-savoyards
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Dolmen dit La-Pierre-aux-Fées located?
Dolmen dit La-Pierre-aux-Fées is located in Reignier, Département 74 department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France.
Is Dolmen dit La-Pierre-aux-Fées open to visitors?
Dolmen dit La-Pierre-aux-Fées is currently closed to visitors.