Birth of the Sidobre

In french, granit or granite ? Both!

Granite (rock) is the scientific term who refers to the raw material, stone.

Granit (peyro) is a more general term off common language who refers to the material, the rock that is worked.

 

But how did it all happen?

About 300 million years ago, as a result of the natural erosion of the Hercynian mountains and consequently the lower pressure exerted by it on the earth’s crust, the magma rises from the centre of the earth without reaching the surface. This magma remains trapped under a thick layer of shale. Then by cooling, very slowly, it becomes a dense and grainy rock: granite.

The magma remained trapped under a thick layer of schist. As the magma cooled very slowly, it became a dense, grainy rock: granite. Over time, the schist eroded and the much harder granite appeared on the surface.

During the Tertiary period (50 to 3 million years ago), erosion intensified: the granite disintegrated, cracks appeared between the blocks and the edges of the blocks became rounder. Surface water carried away the elements, gradually degrading the rocks (granite balls).

This is how the rocks of Sidobre came to be, some of them with more or less legendary shapes…

To find out more, don’t miss the discovery trail of the Maison du Sidobre, with more detailed explanation about the formation of  granite and the emblematic rocks of the Sidobre.
You’ll also discover some information about the flora and fauna of the region.