Which French village is known for its exceptionally dense collection of megalithic standing stones that were hewn from local rock and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany?
"and further to the east, ""Plage Men Dû"" and ""Beaumer"". Carnac is famous as the site of more than 10,000 Neolithic standing stones, also known as menhirs. The stones were hewn from local rock and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany. Local tradition claims that the reason they stand in such perfectly straight lines is that they are a Roman legion turned to stone by Pope Cornelius. The Carnac stones were erected during the Neolithic period which lasted from around 4500 BC until 2000 BC. The precise date of the stones is difficult to ascertain as little dateable material"
"Singing Stones of Brittany The ""Pierre Sonnantes"" or Singing Stones of Brittany are located on the left bank of the river Arguenon opposite the ruined castle of Gilles de Bretagne at Notre-Dame-le-Guildo, near Dinard in the Côtes-d'Armor, France. The stones are round and smooth, shiny black and extremely large, weighing in excess of ten tonnes each and are made of a heavy metallic stone that rings like a bell if struck by another smaller piece of the same stone. There are hundreds of tonnes of them and there is no indication of where they came from or how they got"
"in the year 560 Chlothar I, King of the Franks, is said to have met his rebel son, Chram, here. Menhir de Champ-Dolent The Menhir de Champ-Dolent is a menhir, or upright standing stone, located in a field outside the town of Dol-de-Bretagne. It is the largest standing stone in Brittany and is over 9 meters high. The Menhir du Champ-Dolent is 2 kilometres south of Dol-de-Bretagne in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine. It is in a small picnic area fenced off among the fields near the D795 road. The menhir is the tallest of Brittany's standing stones. Its height above"
"Menhir de Champ-Dolent The Menhir de Champ-Dolent is a menhir, or upright standing stone, located in a field outside the town of Dol-de-Bretagne. It is the largest standing stone in Brittany and is over 9 meters high. The Menhir du Champ-Dolent is 2 kilometres south of Dol-de-Bretagne in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine. It is in a small picnic area fenced off among the fields near the D795 road. The menhir is the tallest of Brittany's standing stones. Its height above ground is between 9.3 and 9.5 metres. It is made of pinkish granite, and has an estimated weight of around"
"the Breton language. The largest menhir alignments are the Carnac stones. Other major sites include the Barnenez cairn, the Locmariaquer megaliths, the Menhir de Champ-Dolent, the Mane Braz tumulus and the Gavrinis tomb. Monuments from the Roman period are rare, but include a large temple in Corseul and scarce ruins of villas and city walls in Rennes and Nantes. Brittany has a large quantity of medieval buildings. They include numerous Romanesque and French Gothic churches, usually built in local sandstone and granit, castles and half-timbered houses visible in villages, towns and cities. Several Breton towns still have their medieval walls,"
"in northwest France alone. Standing stones are usually difficult to date, but pottery, or pottery shards, found underneath some in Atlantic Europe connects them with the Beaker people. They were constructed during many different periods across pre-history as part of the larger megalithic cultures in Europe and near areas. Some menhirs have been erected next to buildings that often have an early or current religious significance. One example is the South Zeal Menhir in Devon, which formed the basis for a 12th-century monastery built by lay monks. The monastery later became the Oxenham Arms hotel, at South Zeal, and the"
"that Neanderthal humans may have developed a sophisticated and complex artistic tradition. In the Neolithic period (""see"" Neolithic Europe), megalithic (large stone) monuments, such as the dolmens and menhirs at Carnac, Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens and elsewhere in France begin to appear; this appearance is thought to start in the fifth millennium BC, although some authors speculate about Mesolithic roots. In France there are some 5,000 megalithics monuments, mainly in Brittany, where there is the largest concentration of these monuments. In this area there is wide variety of these monuments that have been well preserved, like menhirs, dolmen, cromlechs and cairns. The Cairn"
"Barnenez The Cairn of Barnenez (also: Barnenez Tumulus, Barnenez Mound etc.; in Breton ""Karn Barnenez""; in French: ""Cairn de Barnenez"" or ""Tumulus de Barnenez"") is a Neolithic monument located near Plouezoc'h, on the Kernéléhen peninsula in northern Finistère, Brittany (France). It dates to the early Neolithic, about 4800 BC; it is considered one of the earliest megalithic monuments in Europe, as well as one of the oldest man-made structures in the world, along with the Tumulus of Bougon and Locmariaquer megaliths, also located in Great West France. It is also remarkable for the presence of megalithic art. Radiocarbon dates indicate"
"Kerlouan Kerlouan () is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France not far from Brest. It also contains the village of Meneham. Inhabitants of Kerlouan are called in French ""Kerlouanais"". The village of Meneham, locate in Pagan county (bro Pagan), was initially built as a lookout post in the 17th century by Vauban. The main building has the distinction of having a stone roof. The inhabitants came to steal the wood used for the fire. The lookout is built around many huge granite rocks. This village is almost deserted and in disrepair in the 1990s. A"
"""Maria"" and ""kaer"" which means ""nice"" or more likely from the Old Breton ""caer"" (Modern Breton, ) which means ""fortified place,city"". The municipality of Locmariaquer is located at the western tip of the Gulf of Morbihan in Brittany and has many beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean and the bay Quiberon. This small town contains the Locmariaquer megaliths, some of the most significant neolithic remains in Europe, including the Broken Menhir of Er Grah, the largest known single block of stone to have been transported and erected by Neolithic man. It is beside the ""Table des Marchands"", a famous dolmen with"
"of Gavrinis in southern Brittany is an outstanding example of megalithic art : its 14 meters inner corridor is nearly completely adorned with ornamental carvings. The great broken menhir of Er-Grah, now in four pieces was more than 20 meters high originally, making it the largest menhir ever erected. France has also numerous painted stones, polished stone axes, and inscribed menhirs from this period. The Grand-Pressigny area was known for its precious silex blades and they were extensively exported during the Neolithic. In France from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, one finds a variety of archaeological cultures, including the"
"La Roche-aux-Fées La Roche-aux-Fées () is a Neolithic passage grave, or dolmen located in the commune of Essé, in the French department of Ille-et-Vilaine in Brittany. Its name comes from a legend that claims that the stones were placed by fairies. The dolmen consists of more than forty stones forming a corridor four times longer than wide. Its northwest-southeast axis is on an alignment with sunrise at the winter solstice. The tomb is one the most famous and largest neolithic dolmens in Brittany. It consists of a covered passage of stone blocks, with roofing stones laid across them. It is"
"owners from other parts of France, and from Britain. In cultural terms, Brittany is very distinctive, with its own language and Celtic cultural tradition that set it apart from the rest of France. The Breton language, though not much used in everyday life, and not understood by most of the modern population, has made a comeback in recent years, and is taught in a lot of schools. Celtic traditions are alive or recalled today in Breton folk music, its Celtic festivals, and its many prehistoric monuments. The name of Brittany derives from settlers from Great Britain, who fled that island"
"Locmariaquer megaliths The Locmariaquer megaliths are a complex of Neolithic constructions in Locmariaquer, Brittany. They comprise the elaborate Er-Grah tumulus passage grave, a dolmen known as the ""Table des Marchand"" and ""The Broken Menhir of Er Grah"", the largest known single block of stone to have been transported and erected by Neolithic people. The broken menhir, erected around 4700 BC at the same time as another 18 blocks nearby, is thought to have been broken around 4000 BC. Measuring and with a weight of 330 tons, the stone is from a rocky outcrop located several kilometres away from Locmariaquer. The"
"Carnac Carnac (Breton: ""Karnag"") is a commune beside the Gulf of Morbihan on the south coast of Brittany in the Morbihan department in north-western France. Its inhabitants are called ""Carnacois"" in French. Carnac is renowned for the Carnac stones – one of the most extensive Neolithic menhir collections in the world – as well as its beaches, which are popular with tourists. Located on a narrow peninsula halfway between the medieval town Vannes and the seaside resort Quiberon, Carnac is split into two centres - ""Carnac-Ville"" and ""Carnac-Plage"" (the beachfront). In total there are five beaches, including ""la Grande Plage"","
"Saint-Pol-de-Léon Saint-Pol-de-Léon () is a commune in the Finistère department in Brittany in north-western France, located on the coast. It is noted for its 13th-century cathedral on the site of the original founded by Saint Paul Aurelian in the 6th century. It has kept a unique architecture, such as Notre-Dame du Kreisker Chapel, an 80 m high chapel, which is the highest in Brittany. It was also the scene of a battle during the Breton War of Succession, where the Montfortists and their English allies defeated an army led by Charles of Blois. It is the largest vegetable producer and"
"credited with adding major fortifications to the abbey-mount, building towers, successive courtyards, and strengthening the ramparts. The islet belongs to the French commune of Le Mont-Saint-Michel, in the département of Manche, in Normandy. Population (1999): 46. The nearest major town, with an SNCF train station, is Pontorson. Le Mont-Saint-Michel belongs to the Organization of World Heritage Cities. Mont Saint-Michel has also been the subject of traditional jealousy from the Bretons. Bretons claim that since the Couesnon River marks the traditional boundary between Normandy and Brittany, it is only because the river has altered its course over the centuries that the"
"rehabilitation operation is then initiated from 2004. The old cottage is now the Village Inn (restaurant). Kerlouan Kerlouan () is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France not far from Brest. It also contains the village of Meneham. Inhabitants of Kerlouan are called in French ""Kerlouanais"". The village of Meneham, locate in Pagan county (bro Pagan), was initially built as a lookout post in the 17th century by Vauban. The main building has the distinction of having a stone roof. The inhabitants came to steal the wood used for the fire. The lookout is built around"
"Wéris megaliths The Wéris megaliths are a group of megalithic monuments found near the village of Wéris, in the province of Luxembourg, in Belgium. The megalithic remains at Wéris are scattered over region more than long, and form a group which is unique in Belgium. There are many standing stones (menhirs), including one beside the road just southwest of Wéris. Of the many chamber tombs (dolmens) which once existed in the area, two now survive in good condition. These remains generally date to around 3000 BC, a time period which corresponds to that of the Seine-Oise-Marne culture. The dolmens are"
"Dahouet and Plurien on the North coast, Tréhou in Finistère. The miniature types of Maure-de-Bretagne, Ille-et-Vilaine and Couville are typical of Upper Brittany. Copper was imported from Spain as plano-convex ingots, as found in the hoard of Penfoul, Landelau. Settlements have rarely been excavated, Ploubazlanec at the mouth of the Trieux is an example of a fortified village. The Museum of PreHistory in Carnac has large quantities of Late Bronze Age bronze and copper artifacts from the Atlantic Bronze Age culture. This culture was a maritime trading-networked culture that included Brittany and most of the rest of France, the other"
"of the Virgin and Child, Saint Pierre, and Saint Eutrope in polychrome wood. The church of Saint Guy with a wooden statue of Saint Joran. The fountain of Saint Guy: eighteenth century granite fountain. Gommenec'h Gommenec'h () is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Inhabitants are called ""gommenechois"" in French. Breton Etymology: gou (under) and menec'h (monks) This agricultural village, is situated at of magnificent touristic beaches of ""La Manche"". Hamlets: Kerampalier, Kerbalan, Kerbillion-Bihan, Kerdoret, Kerdouanec, Kerhuel, Kerilis, Villepierre, Pors-Hamonet, Kervenou, Kermovezen, Kervernier, kerbars, Kerolland, Kergaff, Kerloas, Kerien, Kervily, Kerbost, Guern-Bras, le Guily, la Ville-Basse,"
"or metamorphic schists. From the megalithic period there are several dolmen and menhirs left behind in the park. Examples for dolmen are: Examples for menhirs are: The dolmen and menhirs were erected about 3500 BC and are attributed to the ""Artenac culture"". Many stone tools, stone knives, arrow heads and whetstones made from flint have been found nearby. Significant is the first occurrence of plain and adorned pottery fragments. A Bronze Age settlement near ""Chalat"", commune of Vayres, has so far yielded only insignificant findings. From the early Iron Age date several tumuli and a necropolis. Examples are: Iron fibulae"
"or ""Bertègn"" in ""MOGA"", and a couple of other scripts also exist. Brittany has been inhabited by humans since the Lower Paleolithic. The first settlers were Neanderthals. This population was scarce and very similar to the other Neanderthals found in the whole of Western Europe. Their only original feature was a distinct culture, called ""Colombanian"". One of the oldest hearths in the world has been found in Plouhinec, Finistère. It is 450,000 years old. Homo sapiens settled in Brittany around 35,000 years ago. They replaced or absorbed the Neanderthals and developed local industries, similar to the Châtelperronian or to the"
"links to Europe. Saint-Pôtan Saint-Pôtan () is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. It takes its name from Saint Pôtan, the namesake of the commune's church. It has grown steadily since 2011 owing to new housing estates and contains a small variety of shops. It is surrounded by more than a dozen stone crosses. In the village of Saint-Pôtan is a manor house now called «Le Vaumeloisel», which used to be a chateau before being destroyed in the French Revolution. This chateau once welcomed the Duchess Anne of Brittany, who married two French kings, and"
"Rock of Solutré The Rock of Solutré (French: ""Roche de Solutré""), is a limestone escarpment west of Mâcon, France, overlooking the commune of Solutré-Pouilly. It is an iconic site in the department of Saône-et-Loire, in Burgundy. Protected by the French law on ""sites naturels classés"" and currently at the heart of a ""grand site national"" operation, it draws its fame severally as a rare geological phenomenon of the region, as a prehistoric site of the eponymous Solutrean paleolithic culture, and for the natural environment which its summit provides, the ""pelouse calciole"" grassland of Mâcon, with its distinctive flora and fauna."
"Beckhampton and West Kennett. Avebury Avebury () is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles, around the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, in southwest England. One of the best known prehistoric sites in Britain, it contains the largest megalithic stone circle in the world. It is both a tourist attraction and a place of religious importance to contemporary pagans. Constructed over several hundred years in the Third Millennium BC, during the Neolithic, or New Stone Age, the monument comprises a large henge (a bank and a ditch) with a large outer stone circle and two separate smaller stone circles"
"the Baptist. Lampaul-Guimiliau Parish close The Lampaul-Guimiliau Parish close (Enclos paroissial) is located at Lampaul-Guimiliau in the arrondissement of Morlaix in Brittany in north-western France. It is a monumental churchyard belonging to the Église Notre-Dame in that town. This church was built in the late 16th century to replace an older one. The structures in the parish close date to the 16th and 17th century. It is a listed historical monument since 1910. The Lampaul-Guimiliau parish close boasts two calvaries. One, carved from kersanton stone, dates to the 16th century and is placed on top of the triumphal arch, the"
"Calvary at Guéhenno The Calvary of Guéhenno, dating from 1550, is located in the village of Guéhenno in the Pontivy arrondissement of Brittany. This article gives a full description of the calvary and details of how it was rebuilt after suffering severe damage in 1794. This calvary is classified as one of the seven great calvaries of Brittany and is the furthest to the east, being located in the ancient diocese of Vannes. It is made entirely from granite save for some bas-reliefs carved using ""pierre bleutėe"" (a bluish stone). The granite used is fine grained which lends itself to"
"a small, remote church or chapel located between a few dozen to several hundred metres away. Calvary hills are also a symbol of Brittany, where they were built during the Breton Renaissance (between 1450 and the 17th century) especially in the Finistère in specially created parish closes. Of great importance was the erection of calvary hills north of the Alps in the Baroque era during the Counter-Reformation. The ' of Notre Dame de Tronoën in Saint-Jean-Trolimon (greater ') dates to 1450 and is one of the oldest in Brittany. Other famous locations in Brittany are: German: French: Calvary (sanctuary) A"
"Sainte-Anne-d'Auray Sainte-Anne-d'Auray () is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray are called in French ""Saintannois"". In 2008, 10,82% of all children in the area attended bilingual schools in primary education. The most notable feature of the village is the large Basilica of Sainte-Anne d'Auray, which is a major site of pilgrimage. Saint Anne is the patron saint of Brittany. The Basilica was built in the mid-nineteenth century to replace an earlier church which had housed an ancient statue of Anne. The statue was said to have been miraculously discovered by Yves Nicolazic,"
"within a large, naturally occurring, outcrop of pink granite rocks. Trégastel Trégastel () is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of the region of Brittany in northwestern France. Trégastel is situated between Perros-Guirec and Pleumeur-Bodou. Lannion, is 10 kilometres away. Inhabitants of Trégastel are called ""trégastellois"" in French. The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on February, 2008. In 2008, 16.5% of primary school children attended bilingual schools. These are the official sister cities of Trégastel: In 1892, Bruno Abakanowicz bought a small island called ""Costaérès"" in Trégastel where until 1896 he erected a neo-Gothic manor. Since"
"artificial river, cascade, pond, lake and kitchen garden and orchard are listed in the pre-inventory of remarkable gardens. Tredion Castle Tredion Castle is located in Tredion in the French department of Morbihan. Built in 1350, Tredion manor belonged to the Dukes of Brittany. The vast forests that surround it made it a favourite meeting place for hunters. Great names have owned the Tredion estate over the centuries. Amongst them, the Malestroits, Jean IV de Rieux, the Marquis de Nesle, Guy-Paul de Coligny, the Princess of Salm, Pierre II de Sérent, Charles Fouquet in 1683, distant relative of the intendant Fouquet,"
"with its well-known multiple-spirals. It is believed that much of this artwork is entoptically derived from induced states of altered consciousness (Dronfield 1993). Stylistically the art of Ireland is similar to occasional finds in nearby Wales and the Scottish Isles. Approximately 70% of Ireland's ancient decorated rocks and stones are to be found in the Boyne Valley (o'Sullivan 1997;19) The French region of Brittany has the second highest concentration of megalithic art. The earliest examples in this area are with anthropomorphic representations on menhirs which later continued in passage graves. Brittany shares some motifs with both Ireland and Iberia and"