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Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire 

Explore more nearby places in Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes., France

Fontaines Pétrifiantes is located in the National Park of the Auvergne volcanoes. Art of petrification was first invented in Tuscany in 1760. It was later developed in many countries all over the world but today only Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire master and carries on this art form. 

A 250 Year Long History

In the early 19th century, an intuitive and a learned man called Jean Serre started digging around to find thermal springs. He found two mineral springs and decided to study the geological phenomenon after he saw a leaf that had been fossilized in calcite nearby the mineral springs. He carried out his first experiments of petrification and set up an ingenious waterfall system to retrieve the calcium crystals from those springs. He gave them artistic shapes using sulphur moulds. This is how the Fontaines Pétrifiantes was found. 

In 1844, 12 petrifying fabrics in Saint-Nectaire employed 60 people amongst them. Because tourism was limited in those times, there was no outlet for emerging products. But thanks to Jean Serre’s son-in-law, M.Michael Papon the industry survived. During 40 years he exploited the mineral springs and turned that craft into a unique sector. In 1922, he and his son Leon opened their fabric to the visitors. In the 1950s, Leon’s son Roger Hyacinthe and his son Edmond Michael further developed that economic aspect by organizing the public’s reception into their site.

Eric Papon, who succeeded as the Managing Director and the owner in 1998, converted the old building into a modern structure. From the 19th century to now, the Papon family have kept the tradition going with the utmost respect for the authentic handicraft and consideration for the local environment.

The Craft and the Technique

Calcium Carbonate is the primary material for the handicraft. The technique consists in forcing calcium carbonate that dissolved in volcanic springs to precipitate onto Gutta-Percha moulds. Gutta Percha is a rubber type vegetable gum that comes from Gutta tree which is grown in South-East Asia. Gutta-Percha was used in the making of everyday items such as cups or teapots and for the coating of submarine telegraph cables. Then it was replaced by chemical plastic. This gum can be reused by regenerating it yearly with new Gutta-Percha. Thus, the gum currently in use dates back to 1870.

The rubber is heated up and kneaded thoroughly to eliminate air and water bubbles. Then the gum is applied onto a copper or resin matrix to form a mould. Once the mould has cooled down, it is placed onto the petrifying ladder for 6-20 months. During this time the mould would get encrusted with calcium carbonate. The craftsman’s experience of crystallization is essential to choose the right location for the mould. He would watch it and handle it daily. Once the low-relied is ready, he would de-mould it and frame it to enhance its fineness. 

The lengthy process only allows limited production but impart intrinsic value to each low-relief.

Constant Innovation

While still keeping the tradition of using Gutta-Percha, they have now started using new materials such as wax, alginate, plaster and silicon in the making of specific up-market and technically complicated pieces.

The firm also creates original authentic pieces on request from artists. Parallel to those commissioned creations, the craftsmen are still using the 450 copper matrices which the firm owns: copies of 19th century renowned engravers like Maraschino interpreting paintings by Ingres or Boucher, or Becker fixing country daily life, historical and mythological scenes, are on sale in the showroom.

Manufacture Open to the Public

In 1922, Michel and Leon Papon developed the petrification handicraft further and opened their fabric to the visitors with the idea of selling their products. They are the ones who introduced guided visits to industrial sites. Today, Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire takes in close to 60,000 visitors per year.

In 2006, Eric Papon, as the managing director, launched an extensive renovation programme to modernize the visitors’ building and make the workshop more functional.

In the guided visit, the visitors are taken to an underground environment to find out about the artwork. The geology room shows the specific subsoil forming in Saint-Nectaire and the volcanic origin of those thermic mineral springs. The cave shelters the basin where two springs spurt out that is canalized to feed the petrifying ladder. 

In the workshop, the visitors can see all the stages of the production. The 14-meter high petrifying ladder and its waterfall allow the calcium carbonate deposit’s physical-chemical principle to take place. The visitors can also see the rubber moulds and other items that are undergoing petrification on the ladder.

3 Avenue du Dr Roux, 63710 Saint-Nectaire, France

Where is it on the Map?

3 Avenue du Dr Roux, 63710 Saint-Nectaire, France

Explore more places in Europe

Explore more nearby places in Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes., France
See more in Can't retrieve term. In case if you changed taxonomy slug for this term, please update widget settings to use new taxonomy slug.

Fontaines Pétrifiantes is located in the National Park of the Auvergne volcanoes. Art of petrification was first invented in Tuscany in 1760. It was later developed in many countries all over the world but today only Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire master and carries on this art form. 

A 250 Year Long History

In the early 19th century, an intuitive and a learned man called Jean Serre started digging around to find thermal springs. He found two mineral springs and decided to study the geological phenomenon after he saw a leaf that had been fossilized in calcite nearby the mineral springs. He carried out his first experiments of petrification and set up an ingenious waterfall system to retrieve the calcium crystals from those springs. He gave them artistic shapes using sulphur moulds. This is how the Fontaines Pétrifiantes was found. 

In 1844, 12 petrifying fabrics in Saint-Nectaire employed 60 people amongst them. Because tourism was limited in those times, there was no outlet for emerging products. But thanks to Jean Serre’s son-in-law, M.Michael Papon the industry survived. During 40 years he exploited the mineral springs and turned that craft into a unique sector. In 1922, he and his son Leon opened their fabric to the visitors. In the 1950s, Leon’s son Roger Hyacinthe and his son Edmond Michael further developed that economic aspect by organizing the public’s reception into their site.

Eric Papon, who succeeded as the Managing Director and the owner in 1998, converted the old building into a modern structure. From the 19th century to now, the Papon family have kept the tradition going with the utmost respect for the authentic handicraft and consideration for the local environment.

The Craft and the Technique

Calcium Carbonate is the primary material for the handicraft. The technique consists in forcing calcium carbonate that dissolved in volcanic springs to precipitate onto Gutta-Percha moulds. Gutta Percha is a rubber type vegetable gum that comes from Gutta tree which is grown in South-East Asia. Gutta-Percha was used in the making of everyday items such as cups or teapots and for the coating of submarine telegraph cables. Then it was replaced by chemical plastic. This gum can be reused by regenerating it yearly with new Gutta-Percha. Thus, the gum currently in use dates back to 1870.

The rubber is heated up and kneaded thoroughly to eliminate air and water bubbles. Then the gum is applied onto a copper or resin matrix to form a mould. Once the mould has cooled down, it is placed onto the petrifying ladder for 6-20 months. During this time the mould would get encrusted with calcium carbonate. The craftsman’s experience of crystallization is essential to choose the right location for the mould. He would watch it and handle it daily. Once the low-relied is ready, he would de-mould it and frame it to enhance its fineness. 

The lengthy process only allows limited production but impart intrinsic value to each low-relief.

Constant Innovation

While still keeping the tradition of using Gutta-Percha, they have now started using new materials such as wax, alginate, plaster and silicon in the making of specific up-market and technically complicated pieces.

The firm also creates original authentic pieces on request from artists. Parallel to those commissioned creations, the craftsmen are still using the 450 copper matrices which the firm owns: copies of 19th century renowned engravers like Maraschino interpreting paintings by Ingres or Boucher, or Becker fixing country daily life, historical and mythological scenes, are on sale in the showroom.

Manufacture Open to the Public

In 1922, Michel and Leon Papon developed the petrification handicraft further and opened their fabric to the visitors with the idea of selling their products. They are the ones who introduced guided visits to industrial sites. Today, Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire takes in close to 60,000 visitors per year.

In 2006, Eric Papon, as the managing director, launched an extensive renovation programme to modernize the visitors’ building and make the workshop more functional.

In the guided visit, the visitors are taken to an underground environment to find out about the artwork. The geology room shows the specific subsoil forming in Saint-Nectaire and the volcanic origin of those thermic mineral springs. The cave shelters the basin where two springs spurt out that is canalized to feed the petrifying ladder. 

In the workshop, the visitors can see all the stages of the production. The 14-meter high petrifying ladder and its waterfall allow the calcium carbonate deposit’s physical-chemical principle to take place. The visitors can also see the rubber moulds and other items that are undergoing petrification on the ladder.

3 Avenue du Dr Roux, 63710 Saint-Nectaire, France

Where is it on the Map?

3 Avenue du Dr Roux, 63710 Saint-Nectaire, France

Explore more places in Europe

See more in Can't retrieve term. In case if you changed taxonomy slug for this term, please update widget settings to use new taxonomy slug.
Explore more nearby places in Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes., France

Fontaines Pétrifiantes is located in the National Park of the Auvergne volcanoes. Art of petrification was first invented in Tuscany in 1760. It was later developed in many countries all over the world but today only Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire master and carries on this art form. 

A 250 Year Long History

In the early 19th century, an intuitive and a learned man called Jean Serre started digging around to find thermal springs. He found two mineral springs and decided to study the geological phenomenon after he saw a leaf that had been fossilized in calcite nearby the mineral springs. He carried out his first experiments of petrification and set up an ingenious waterfall system to retrieve the calcium crystals from those springs. He gave them artistic shapes using sulphur moulds. This is how the Fontaines Pétrifiantes was found. 

In 1844, 12 petrifying fabrics in Saint-Nectaire employed 60 people amongst them. Because tourism was limited in those times, there was no outlet for emerging products. But thanks to Jean Serre’s son-in-law, M.Michael Papon the industry survived. During 40 years he exploited the mineral springs and turned that craft into a unique sector. In 1922, he and his son Leon opened their fabric to the visitors. In the 1950s, Leon’s son Roger Hyacinthe and his son Edmond Michael further developed that economic aspect by organizing the public’s reception into their site.

Eric Papon, who succeeded as the Managing Director and the owner in 1998, converted the old building into a modern structure. From the 19th century to now, the Papon family have kept the tradition going with the utmost respect for the authentic handicraft and consideration for the local environment.

The Craft and the Technique

Calcium Carbonate is the primary material for the handicraft. The technique consists in forcing calcium carbonate that dissolved in volcanic springs to precipitate onto Gutta-Percha moulds. Gutta Percha is a rubber type vegetable gum that comes from Gutta tree which is grown in South-East Asia. Gutta-Percha was used in the making of everyday items such as cups or teapots and for the coating of submarine telegraph cables. Then it was replaced by chemical plastic. This gum can be reused by regenerating it yearly with new Gutta-Percha. Thus, the gum currently in use dates back to 1870.

The rubber is heated up and kneaded thoroughly to eliminate air and water bubbles. Then the gum is applied onto a copper or resin matrix to form a mould. Once the mould has cooled down, it is placed onto the petrifying ladder for 6-20 months. During this time the mould would get encrusted with calcium carbonate. The craftsman’s experience of crystallization is essential to choose the right location for the mould. He would watch it and handle it daily. Once the low-relied is ready, he would de-mould it and frame it to enhance its fineness. 

The lengthy process only allows limited production but impart intrinsic value to each low-relief.

Constant Innovation

While still keeping the tradition of using Gutta-Percha, they have now started using new materials such as wax, alginate, plaster and silicon in the making of specific up-market and technically complicated pieces.

The firm also creates original authentic pieces on request from artists. Parallel to those commissioned creations, the craftsmen are still using the 450 copper matrices which the firm owns: copies of 19th century renowned engravers like Maraschino interpreting paintings by Ingres or Boucher, or Becker fixing country daily life, historical and mythological scenes, are on sale in the showroom.

Manufacture Open to the Public

In 1922, Michel and Leon Papon developed the petrification handicraft further and opened their fabric to the visitors with the idea of selling their products. They are the ones who introduced guided visits to industrial sites. Today, Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire takes in close to 60,000 visitors per year.

In 2006, Eric Papon, as the managing director, launched an extensive renovation programme to modernize the visitors’ building and make the workshop more functional.

In the guided visit, the visitors are taken to an underground environment to find out about the artwork. The geology room shows the specific subsoil forming in Saint-Nectaire and the volcanic origin of those thermic mineral springs. The cave shelters the basin where two springs spurt out that is canalized to feed the petrifying ladder. 

In the workshop, the visitors can see all the stages of the production. The 14-meter high petrifying ladder and its waterfall allow the calcium carbonate deposit’s physical-chemical principle to take place. The visitors can also see the rubber moulds and other items that are undergoing petrification on the ladder.

3 Avenue du Dr Roux, 63710 Saint-Nectaire, France

Where is it on the Map?

3 Avenue du Dr Roux, 63710 Saint-Nectaire, France

Explore more places in Europe

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