Puy des Roches de Cheissoux (la Vierge, la louve et le cheval blanc)

Cheissoux

In the commune of Cheissoux, in the parc naturel régional de Millevaches en Limousin, the Puy des Roches is a chaos of granite rocks that is also called a ‘pierre monumentale’. The tales attached to it are numerous and do not always agree. According to the local circuit sheet, the Virgin Mary carried these stones in her apron; one is even said to see the trace of her steps and the cradle of the Infant Jesus. The Limousin tourist office tells a variant: the Virgin in mourning brought these stones back from Golgotha, saying ‘Grow, little stones, and give me peace by easing my sorrow’. Another tale speaks of a she-wolf that had her den in the rocks and killed many people in the region, which gave the place a sinister reputation. Finally, a white horse is said to hide here and come out only at night to drink and graze; whoever meets it risks being chased to exhaustion. Some also see in it an old place of druid sacrifice, but no archaeological proof is cited. No date is given: these are oral traditions, collected by the tourist offices.

Getting there: Free, on foot: the panorama is reached by a path to the right after a crossroads on the Charbonnières circuit, hamlet of Villemonteix (Cheissoux). From Limoges: D 941 towards Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat then D 13 towards Champnétery and Cheissoux. The site is in the parc naturel régional de Millevaches en Limousin. Coordinates: ‘Puy des Roches’ summit in OpenStreetMap. No Commons photo found in a category that designates the site.

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

Ambient sound