Pierre et eau

Colour: Yellow

Avrillé is a commune renowned for its many megaliths, including the most famous and largest in the Vendée: the Camp de César menhir. It is also known for the Château de la Guignardière, which has now become the Château des Aventuriers.

Discover the treasures of this town:
• Market Halls: Built in 1858, they bear witness to the town’s development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The roof was rebuilt in 2010.

• Saint-Pierre Church: Built in the 12th century, it has undergone numerous alterations.

• Well: It was used by the Roman legions but also to water the horses at the Relais de Poste, the Auberge Royale and the Hôtel des Trois Piliers.

• Town Hall: Originally a Post House, then the Auberge Royale and the Hôtel des Trois Piliers in 1784 (named after the three menhirs in the garden, two of which have since disappeared), the town hall is also characterised by its blue granite lintels.

• King of the Menhirs: This is the tallest standing menhir in the Vendée, measuring 8.70 metres, 7 metres of which are above ground. It weighs 85 tonnes. Until the 19th century, it formed part of an alignment of three menhirs. It dates from the Neolithic period. Its other name, ‘the menhir of Caesar’s Camp’, is linked to the former presence of Roman legions.

• Washhouse: A place of work and social gathering, it was fed by the stream that crosses the road to Longeville-sur-Mer and runs alongside the blue granite quarries.

• Saint-Gré Spring: The menhirs and pilgrims have vanished. All that remains is the spring, whose water seeps through a granite boulder. Above the basin, one can make out a human foot: the foot of Mary.

• Menhir de la Boilière: Having fallen in 1962, this monument was returned to its original position in 1986. Erected beside it, the small menhir features three cup marks (small holes carved into the rock by human hands). Take the path next to the information board, following the boundary of the meadow, to catch a glimpse of it.