We were exceptionally well served with the weather for our trip to the Bibémus quarries – dry, warm but not too hot, and little wind. After a fascinating introduction to the life of Paul Cézanne, we were taken by coach up the narrow winding road to the entrance. The quarries had been in use since Roman times to provide stone for the buildings in the city, but were already disused when Cézanne, a great walker and fascinated by colours, decided to hire a small building there for his workshop. He would be taken there by horse and trap early each morning and work until the light was too intense, then begin again later in the afternoon. The views of Montagne Sainte Victoire, the colours of the stone and the vegetation all provided inspiration and figure in several of his paintings.
Towards Montagne Sainte Victoire
The richly coloured stone in the quarry
The quarries extend over seven hectares and from the edge there are expansive views over the plains at the foot of Montagne Sainte Victoire. The thick vegetation under the tall pine and evergreen oak trees is typical of the garrigue with alkaline soil and many interesting plants including Aphyllanthes monspeliensis, borage, Cistus albidus, Cistus salviifolius, Euphorbia serrata, Limodorum abortivum and Lonicera etrusca – to name a few.
Limodorum abortivum
Cistus salviifolius
Lonicera etrusca
We climbed down into the quarry and along a rough path and turning a corner saw the last thing we expected – a car! A Canadian sculptor is the only person authorised to live in the quarry, in a small building with no services. Walking further, we came to the building where Cézanne worked from 1895 to 1899, and panels with reproductions of some of his famous paintings were placed at the very spots where he must have placed his canvas.
