Rochers sculptés de Rothéneuf, Coastal rock carvings in Saint-Malo, France.
Rochers sculptés de Rothéneuf is a series of seaside granite rocks near Saint-Malo carved with more than 300 figures. The sculptures stretch along the cliff and show people, animals and mythical beings in different sizes directly above the water.
A priest named Adolphe Fouéré began working the rocks with hammer and chisel in the late 19th century after becoming deaf and mute. He worked alone at this coast for over thirteen years and completed the work shortly before his death in 1910.
The rock figures show fishermen, sailors and saints as they appeared in the lives of Breton coastal communities more than a century ago. Many carvings refer to local legends and the hard life at sea that shaped people here.
The site sits on an open stretch of coast that can become slippery during strong winds and high waves. Visit at low tide and in good weather to see the carvings clearly.
The priest used only simple tools and worked without scaffolding or safety gear directly above the sea. His carvings were originally painted in bright colors, but wind and salt stripped the paint completely over the decades.
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