The Cairn of Gavrinis, located on Gavrinis Island in the Morbihan department, Bretagne region, is a testament to Neolithic ingenuity. Built around 4250–4000 BC, this dolmen with a long corridor required ‘approximately 100,000 working days’ (Charles-Tanguy Le Roux) and is one of the most ornate megalithic monuments in all of Brittany and one of the most spectacular in Europe. The unique structure is nearly circular, with a diameter ranging from 54 to 60 m and a height of 6 to 8 m, although it is actually quadrangular with rounded corners.
The construction is defined by concentric walls, and the internal mass of the cairn contains a series of ‘ranks’ of stones, carefully structured to contain the building's pressure. The structures in front of the facade were burned and immediately covered with a stone mass, sealing the entrance. The Cairn of Gavrinis was classified as a historical monument in France in 1901 and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025, as part of the Carnac Megaliths and the Morbihan Coast Bien.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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