"A Neolithic tomb transformed into chapel, bread oven, and cart shed over six millennia"
Dolmen de la Madeleine
Gennes, Pays de la Loire, France
On the outskirts of Gennes, near the Loire, stands one of the larger dolmens in a region second only to Brittany for megalithic density. Built over 6,500 years ago as a communal burial chamber, the Dolmen de la Madeleine later served as a Christian chapel (Romanesque pillars still support its capstones), then as a bread oven, and finally as storage for farm carts. Human bones and worked stone from its Neolithic builders were recovered in 1940.
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Quick Facts
Location
Gennes, Pays de la Loire, France
Site Type
Coordinates
47.3425, -0.2306
Last Updated
Jan 18, 2026
Learn More
The Dolmen de la Madeleine belongs to the Saumur megalithic region—second only to Brittany in France for density of dolmens and menhirs.
Origin Story
Neolithic peoples built this burial chamber over 6,500 years ago using sabal sandstone from the Loire valley. The region around Saumur holds the second-highest concentration of megaliths in France. Excavations in 1940 recovered human bone fragments and worked stone tools.
Spiritual Lineage
Part of Lower Loire megalithic tradition. Christian adaptation suggests ongoing recognition of sacred character. Now French Historic Monument.
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