Menhir de la Garde ou Pierre à l’huile

Menhir de la Garde ou Pierre à l'huile — Menhir in Cholet (Maine-et-Loire) inscrit Monument Historique (inscribed) in 1976 under the French Heritage Act.

Identification & Protection

Mérimée reference

This monument is referenced in the French architectural heritage database (Mérimée) under the identifier PA00109052. Full archival records are published by the Ministère de la Culture at pop.culture.gouv.fr.

Protection status

The building is inscrit Monument Historique (inscribed) (since 1976), the highest French-law category for heritage immeubles.

Menhir de la Garde ou Pierre à l'huile (cad. ES 48) : inscription par arrêté du 6 janvier 1976

Ownership

Current legal status: propriété privée.

Location & Access

Commune and département

Located in Cholet, Maine-et-Loire, within the Pays de la Loire region of France.

Coordinates

GPS coordinates: 47.0442°N, -0.8309°E (WGS 84).

Nearby protected sites

Monument	Commune	Protected
Moulin à vent des Quatre Croix	Saint-Saturnin-sur-Loire	1977
Eglise de Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg	Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg	1988
Château de la Morinière (ruines de l'ancien)	Soulaines-sur-Aubance	1988
Château de Brignac de Seiches-sur-le-Loir	Seiches-sur-le-Loir	2014
Manoir du Hardas de Louvaines	Louvaines	1991

Loire Context

Architectural context

Built or restructured in the Néolithique.

Relative significance

Protected earlier than the median monument of the département, reflecting its recognized stature.

UNESCO landscape

The Loire Valley is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2000 as a cultural landscape. Read the anchor page: Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Menhir de la Garde ou Pierre à l'huile located?

Menhir de la Garde ou Pierre à l'huile is located in the commune of Cholet (Maine-et-Loire).

When was Menhir de la Garde ou Pierre à l'huile protected?

It was inscrit Monument Historique (inscribed) in 1976 under the French Heritage Act, with reference PA00109052 in the Mérimée database.

When was Menhir de la Garde ou Pierre à l'huile built?

The main construction campaign dates from the Néolithique.

Data source: Ministère de la Culture — base Mérimée (data.culture.gouv.fr). Last updated: April 14, 2026.