Alternate name The Fairies' Rock Type Dolmen Address 35150 Essé, France Region France | Location Brittany Periods Neolithic Phone +33 820 20 52 35 Period Neolithic | |
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Hours Open today · Open 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hours Similar Allée couverte, Écomusée du Pays de Rennes, Rennes Cathedral, Parc des Gayeulles, Carnac stones | ||
La Roche-aux-Fées (English: The Fairies' Rock) 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.
Description
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 about 20 metres long, and there are around 48 blocks, of which the heaviest weighs about 45 tonnes. the interior is divided into two separate chambers. The entrance is aligned with the rising sun at the winter solstice. The original structure would have been covered with a mound of stones and earth. It is thought to date from between 3000 and 2500 BC.