Le Pennelus, Roman pyramid in La Penne-sur-Huveaune, France

Le Pennelus is a standing structure with a truncated pyramidal form and rectangular base located along the former Roman road N8 near Marseille. The structure rises about 8 meters high and is hollow inside, designed to hold burials within its interior.

This monument was built in the 1st century BC as a burial chamber to honor deceased Romans in the area. Its construction demonstrates how Romans established their presence in southern France through permanent structures.

The monument was listed as a monument historique in 1886, a protection that saved it from the quarrying and building pressure on the Huveaune valley. Local tradition long called it the tomb of a Roman named Pennelus, and the name stuck to the hill and the structure. It is now a landmark on walking routes above La Penne-sur-Huveaune.

The pyramid stands beside the former Roman road, now the N8, on the edge of La Penne-sur-Huveaune and is reached from the town centre by the Montée Charles Paya. It is visible from the roadway, so no ticket or guided entry is needed; the hollow interior is not arranged for visitors. Parking is easiest in the village, from where the monument is a short walk uphill.

The two marble sarcophagi found inside were long kept in the parish church of La Penne-sur-Huveaune before joining the collections of the Musée des Antiquités Nationales at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The monument was listed as a monument historique in 1886, the same year the site was cleared.