Menhir dit La Pierre des Hommes
MonumentHidden Treasure
Menhir dit La Pierre des Hommes, located in Coron (Maine-et-Loire), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Coron, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.1198, -0.6108
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00109064
Sentinelle de pierre dressée depuis le Néolithique au cœur du Saumurois, La Pierre des Hommes de Coron est l'un des menhirs les mieux conservés du Maine-et-Loire, chargé de mystères et de légendes ancestrales.
History
As you wind your way through the bucolic lanes of Coron, in the Anjou bocage, a striking mineral silhouette emerges: La Pierre des Hommes, a menhir erected by Neolithic hands several millennia ago. This monolith of local schist or sandstone rises with quiet authority above the grasslands, a reminder that these lands of Maine-et-Loire were among the most densely inhabited in prehistoric Europe. What sets this menhir apart from its peers is above all its name - "La Pierre des Hommes" ("The Stone of Men") - which evokes a collective memory rooted in peasant oral tradition. Where other megaliths bear devil or fairy names, suggesting a medieval Christian appropriation designed to exorcise their strangeness, this one retains a resolutely human, almost fraternal appellation, as if successive generations had always recognised in it the work of their distant ancestors. A visit to this site offers a rare experience of contemplation, far removed from the hustle and bustle of tourism. Standing in front of the monolith, the visitor is made aware of the depth of time: the same rock witnessed Gallic clearings, medieval processions and the ploughing of the Revolution. The surrounding vegetation - hedgerows, scattered oak trees - reinforces the sense that nature and humanity have always been intertwined. Lovers of hiking and megalithic heritage will appreciate that this menhir is part of a wider network of prehistoric monuments in the Saumur region, including dolmens, covered walkways and tumuli. The Pierre des Hommes is an ideal stop-off point on an archaeological tour exploring the Neolithic settlement of the Loire Valley.
Architecture
The Pierre des Hommes belongs to the category of isolated menhirs, the most refined megalithic form there is: a single stone, standing vertically, with no apparent assembly or ancillary features. This monolith is probably carved from a resistant local material, Armorican shale or sandstone, typical of the geological outcrops in the Anjou bocage. Its surface bears the scars of time - grey-green lichens, micro-cracks, differential erosion - giving it the mineral patina that is inseparable from its identity. Its height, typical of menhirs in the Saumur region, is probably between two and four metres above ground, with a buried section representing around a third of the total height to ensure stability. The cross-section of the shaft is generally sub-rectangular or slightly tapered, widening towards the base, in line with the extraction and emplacement techniques used in the Neolithic period: the rough block was removed from its bedrock by percussion, then transported on sledges or rollers before being tipped into a previously dug pit. As is often the case with this type of monument, the orientation of the menhir may reveal an astronomical intention - alignment with the rising sun at the solstices or equinoxes - which can only be confirmed by a precise archaeoastronomical study. The absence of visible engravings or cupules distinguishes it from the ornate Breton menhirs, but does not rule out the existence of markings now erased by millennial erosion.
Related Figures
Communautés néolithiques du Saumurois (4500-2500 av. J.-C.) — bâtisseurs du menhirÉrudits de la Société Académique de Maine-et-Loire (XIXe siècle) — premiers inventaires savantsProsper Mérimée (1803-1870) — inspecteur des Monuments historiques, promoteur de la loi de protection de 1840Arcisse de Caumont (1801-1873) — archéologue normand dont les travaux influencèrent le recensement des mégalithes ligériens
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Menhir dit La Pierre des Hommes located?
Menhir dit La Pierre des Hommes is located in Coron, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
Is Menhir dit La Pierre des Hommes open to visitors?
Menhir dit La Pierre des Hommes is currently closed to visitors.
