A millennia-old site at the heart of Brittany, La Roche-aux-Fées, or The Fairies' Rock, is no ordinary architecture. Standing in the commune of Essé, this colossal Neolithic dolmen finds its unusual name from local legends, as it is said to be the stones were placed by fairies. Its northwest-southeast alignment, echoing the winter solstice sunrise, adds an air of mystique to this ancient monument.
The structure is dated between 3000 and 2500 BC and consists of around 48 blocks. One of the heaviest weighs around 45 tonnes and rests on top of the passageway, which is four times longer than it is wide. The tomb is one of the most famous and largest Neolithic dolmens in Brittany, originally covered with a mound of stones and earth.
The interior of the dolmen is divided into two separate chambers. The entrance is aligned with the rising sun at the winter solstice. This megalithic gallery grave remains a significant archaeological site in the French department of Ille-et-Vilaine.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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