Rocher des Andars (pèlerinage des dartres, forêt de Tronçais)

Le Brethon

In the forêt de Tronçais, on a path that follows the old road to Compostela, an isolated block of flint keeps the memory of a popular cure. According to the official sheet of the listed site, people suffering from ringworm, a skin disease, long made a pilgrimage to it. They traced crosses on the beeches and oaks around and left small coins in the hollows of the stone. A deep crack there still holds water. About thirty years before 1912, a warden of the Clef des Fossés collected the coins left there. The rock survived by chance: in this part of the forest the large flint blocks were quarried and broken up to metal the roads. Only three or four were spared, including that of Les Andars. In 1912 historians of the forest described it as ‘of the most picturesque effect’ and noted that it had been left intact. Fearing its disappearance, the administration listed it by order of 23 April 1934 as a picturesque and legendary site. No source read speaks of the pilgrimage after 1912.

Getting there: Free, by a path that follows the old road to Santiago de Compostela through the forêt de Tronçais, with a gentle climb to a ridge. A wooden bench and a few old trees mark the place. Houses are far away: the nearest, at Les Andars, is about 500 m away. Coordinates: ‘Rocher des Andars’ area in OpenStreetMap.

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

Ambient sound