Pierre Folle des Ormeaux, Angevin dolmen in Bournand, France

The Pierre Folle des Ormeaux is a stone burial chamber measuring 19 meters long and 6.7 meters wide, surrounded by eleven standing stones that form its walls. A massive capstone that has cracked into three pieces covers the internal space.

The monument was surveyed several times from the 19th century onward; Le Touzé de Longuemar estimated the weight of its single broken capstone at 92 tonnes. It was listed as a monument historique by the 1889 list. It was long classified as an allée couverte, but is now identified as a classic Angevin dolmen with a portico.

Local tradition says the Pierre Folle turns on itself when the rooster crows. The monument was long listed as an allée couverte before being reidentified as a classic Angevin dolmen, with a portico of two pillars under a single 4.60 m by 1.70 m slab. One pillar was reused as a polissoir, its surface hollowed with several elongated basins.

This site sits in open countryside away from town, so it helps to plan your route in advance before visiting. Be careful when entering the interior, as the ancient stones are fragile and some parts have deteriorated with age.

The capstone, now split into three pieces, was estimated by Le Touzé de Longuemar to weigh 92 tonnes. Local tradition holds that the Pierre Folle turns on itself when the rooster crows.