Pierre branlante de Cieux (Boscartus), le rocher du juge

Cieux

Near the hamlet of Boscartus, an enormous block of granite of about 120 tonnes rests on another block at only a few points. With a little effort it can be made to rock from east to west, but it does not fall. It is natural, like the other legend stones of the Limousin, granites rounded by erosion. According to the tradition reported by the Limousin tourist office, the stone served as a court: an accused person who managed to make it move was declared innocent and pardoned. It is not known when this use dates from nor whether anyone was ever tried in this way; no archive source was found. The rock is part of a three-hour circuit that also includes the Roche aux Fées and the menhir of Ceinturat, 5.10 m high. Care must be taken not to confuse it with another ‘pierre branlante’ in the neighbouring commune of La Jonchère-Saint-Maurice, at the Puy de Sauvagnac, which is a rock chaos at 650 m altitude: a photo caption on the legend-stones page mixes them up. The two sites are about 35 km apart.

Getting there: Free, on the Cieux megaliths circuit (about 3 h, free of charge); park near the D 204 and walk a little on a dirt track (walking shoes advised). Coordinates: OpenStreetMap (Pierre Branlante, D 204, Mas Vieux), confirmed by the Megalithic Portal entry to within 60 m.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound