La Pierre Tremblante

A bit of history

The land around Cheix en Retz was already inhabited in prehistoric times. People became sedentary and built a village on the banks of the Tenu.

The first burials appeared during the Middle Palaeothic period. They are linked to Neanderthal man.
In the Neolithic period, burial practices developed. At this time, Homo Sapiens buried their dead in burial chambers known as megaliths.

The Pierre Tremblante, possibly the remains of a megalith, now lies on the banks of the Acheneau.

It is a large slab of gneiss 6.30 m long, 4.40 m wide and 0.50 m thick. It must have been extracted at some unknown time from an outcrop a few dozen metres further west.


One stone and 3 legends...


The first legend has it that the stone trembles when you climb it, hence its name La Pierre Tremblante (The Trembling Stone).
The second legend has it that Saint Martin de Vertou, an evangelist in the 6th century, climbed the stone to preach to the local population. Carried away by his faith, he is said to have carved the imprint of his right foot into the rock. Since then, it has been known as the Saint-Martin stone.
Finally, there is another legend linked to the life of Saint Martin. The inhabitants of Herbauges were reluctant to embrace Christianity. He had them swallowed up by the Grand-Lieu lake. Some had followed the monk but soon turned back to the pagan gods. Saint Martin decided to turn them into stone. This stone would be one of them.



A little extra :
You can discover the site on a bucolic walk along the La Pierre Tremblante hiking trail.