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Light Show of a Different Kind

Carrieres de Lumineres

When visiting the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, we were told to visit the old quarry. “Go to the light show. It is in the old quarry. You’ll see Picassos there. It is amazing.”

A light show in an old quarry? With Picassos? Sure. It’s probably worth seeing what it is.

Expecting some drawings on the quarry walls, lit with spotlights, we made our way out of the village, down the road, to the old quarry. I’m sure we were thinking this would be underwhelming…at best.

Well…first of all, it was not what we were expecting.

Yes. It was an old quarry. Old being the operative word.

The quarry was where the Les Baux stone was extracted. This stone from the south of France is slightly calcareous limestone, fine-grained, whiteish in color. It results from the compaction of calcium carbonate on calcareous sand. Marine fossils have been found in the rock.

The quarry was dampish and coolish. And, huge.

Back in the 19th century, this stone was in demand for building. Hence, the enlarging of the quarry to meet those demands. At the time the quarry was referred to as Les Grands Fonds. Today it is called Les Carrieres de Lumieres.

Following WWI, the demands lessened so much that the quarry was closed until about 1959. A visionary genius, Jean Cocteau, loved the beauty and simplicity of the old quarry. He filmed The Testament of Orpheus here.

In 1977 Joseph Svoboda, a scenographer, decided the walls would make a great backdrop for a light and sound show. Since then, the management developed a unique concept for the site. AMIEX is a registered name, Art & Music Immersive Experience.

Now, music and art come together on the walls of this massive place. Monet, Renoir, Chagall, Klimt, Vienna, Michelangelo, de Vinci, Raphael, Bosch, Brueghel, Arcimboldo have all been showcased.

A light show? Oh my. That doesn’t even begin to describe it.

We stepped inside a basically dark cavernous space and were met with the Flower Power movement, Sixties Music, Hippies, Peace and Love, Sgt. Pepper, Hendrix, the Stones, the Beach Boys. Each song accompanied by swirling lights, flashing colors, and dancing people. All displayed on the walls and floor of the quarry. Talk about a party.

If you’re prone to motion sickness, don’t look down at the floor. It’s moving. I think.

When this journey ended, the lights softly came on. We could see how huge this place is and the white quarry walls with their marks where immense blocks of limestone had been cut out years ago. As the lights once again dimmed, we were taken through a journey of the Spanish masters’ paintings. All projected on the walls. Some were shown straight ahead. Some moved around the walls and corners, from one wall to the next. Music played. Goya was there. So were Rusinol, Zuloaga, Sorolla.

Then followed Picasso. The entire experience was an intense lesson in discovering a century of Spanish painting. All up close and personal. All bigger than big. Portraits, beach scenes, rustic, gardens…all brought to life right in front of us.

Once the lights came back up, we wandered around the monumental space of the quarry. It was impressive, even without the light show.

How did they do it? The digital and immersive exhibitions are presented with thousands of moving images of digitized works. They are brought to life by the cutting edge of AMIEX technical equipment.

Those white limestone walls are the perfect background for the hundred projectors to transform the masterpieces. Or the Sixties.

Again…not just some light show. Not just a few paintings.

You have to go…trust me.

If You Go: Carrieres de Lumieres is located at Route de Maillane 13520 Les Baux-de-Provence. It is 800 m from the Chateau des Baux-de-Provence.

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Les Baux-de-Provence…A Piece of History

Les Baux-de-Provence

Set in the heart of the Alpilles regional county park, Les Baux-de-Provence is listed as a heritage site. It’s even won the title of one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. Considering the fact that there are plenty of beautiful villages in France, this is quite an honor.

So, why this designation? We wanted to find out.

For starters, the village literally sits on a rocky plateau. It sort looks like someone perched it there, overlooking the valleys, hills, and marshes below. With its panoramic views, you can see all the way to Arles and the Camargue. If you know where to look, you can see some patches of red earth. These are all that are left of the bauxite quarries, a mineral used to make aluminum.

The Baux outcrop is one of the last foothills of the Alpilles mountains. It’s this craggy cliff formation, with sheer drops of 20 to 45 meters that provided natural protection for the Chateau. And, the Chateau was crucial.

This location was important as far back as early prehistoric times. Defend and protect. In addition to the magnificent drop offs, there are several smaller outcrops where defending troops could see the enemy coming. These somewhat smaller fortresses acted as sort of warning system for the main Chateau.

Keep the Chateau safe. And, they did.

In the Middle Ages, the Baux lineage was one of the leading families in Provence, thanks to the land. They had control of over 79 towns and fortresses until the King took it over.

The Renaissance was a golden age for the town and any buildings in need of repair were rebuilt. Until 1631. Insurgents took it over, leading to a revolt. Cardinal Richelieu’s troops besieged it, once again demolishing it. The village of Les Baux was gradually abandoned until 1821, when a geologist discovered a red rock rich in alum earth…bauxite.

After WWII, the village began a new life as a tourist and cultural center. Raymond Thuillier opened Oustau de Baumaniere, an ambassador for gourmet cuisine which attracted all the world’s best-known names in food.

Then came that distinction of one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in France.”

Now, you can only visit the village by foot…which we did.

With its narrow alley-ways or streets, even the foot traffic gets congested at times. Winding our way up through the village, our goal was the Chateau at the top. Our self-guided tour let us explore as much as wanted, learning about the turbulent history, watching a giant catapult hurl rocks at incoming invaders, and experiencing what it would have looked like to watch an enemy approach from miles away.

Walking back into the village after exploring the Chateau, we were looking for lunch. The Renaissance facades, noticeable on many buildings, bring the memories of what this village once was back to mind. Small shops and restaurants now occupy those buildings.

A bottle of wine, lavender soap, a new Panama hat, locally grown olive oil, or perhaps a custom designed knife…whatever you’re looking for, you might see it here.

Restaurants? No shortage of these, from simple take-away deli sandwiches piled high with local meats, olives, and cheeses to sit-down organic meals to ala carte specialties. This village is truly a foodie one.

What did we discover here?

Plan on spending a full day. If you can, arrive early. Wander through the Chateau and its entirety, taking advantage of the free audio recordings. They help explain what you’re looking at and how it functioned many, many years ago. You’ll learn how they used that giant catapult, how they made their amour, where their food was kept, and where the wounded were treated.

Allow time to explore the village. Whether you’re shopping, exploring local fare, or intent on buying, take your time. Look at the buildings and imagine what they housed in their former lives.

Also, explore the type of restaurant and food you want. There’s a variety. So many choices…not enough time.

This a beautiful village in so many ways. It’s a village we’ll go back to. Maybe even stay longer next time…

 

If You Go: Les Baux-de-Provence is a French commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the province of Provence in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of southern France

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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was after the Second World War that the village began a new life as a tourist and