Lapis Longus

Lapis Longus, also known as Lapis Longus of Chivasso, stands in the centre of Chivasso, in the metropolitan city of Turin, Piedmont, Italy. It is situated on Lungo Piazza d'Armi, between Via Orti and Via Torino. Although recorded as a standing stone, the monument may have been a funerary monument rather than a true menhir.

The monolith was carved from gneiss and resembles a column. It measures 4 m in height and weighs 1,500 kg. Its precise origin and purpose remain uncertain, and it is now enclosed beneath a protective glass “cloche.” The available information does not establish when the stone was originally raised.

Later, the pseudo-menhir was used as a pillory during the XVIe and XVIIe centuries. Its catalogue dating is 2800 BCE to 1800 BCE, based on a typological estimate, while the monument is described as belonging to the Bronze Age or Iron Age. These broad dates do not provide a secure date for its erection or original use.

The stone’s alternative name comes from the Latin meaning “Longue Pierre.” Standing stones are found across central and southern Europe outside the Atlantic fringe. In Italy, the best-known examples are in Sardinia, where at least 332 standing stones have been recorded, including statue-menhirs with human faces and gendered symbols. These broader traditions provide context for the later history and uncertain status of Lapis Longus.

Lapis Longus is a menhir (standing stone) in Chivasso, Italy. A typological estimate: 2800 BCE to 1800 BCE. No English Wikipedia article exists for it; the full text below is the French article "Menhir de Chivasso", shown in the original language.