An 86-year-old artist from Aubagne has spent fifteen years carving more than 120 engravings into the rocky landscape of the Garlaban Massif, reviving an ancient tradition once practiced by goat herders in the region. Louis Douard has transformed a rocky plateau at 600 meters altitude into an open-air gallery featuring iconic characters from Marcel Pagnol's works and Provençal folklore.
Visitors hiking through the "circuit of engraved rocks," located just 20 minutes' walk from the Garlaban summit, encounter a remarkable collection of stone carvings scattered across the natural landscape. The engravings include young Marcel Pagnol displaying two red-legged partridges shot by his father, the character Fanny from the pétanque game showing her buttocks, a cicada, a lizard, and a quote from Jean Giono reading "Everything you accumulate outside your heart is lost."
The collection also features portraits of celebrated Provençal figures carved directly into the rock face. Among them are Frédéric Mistral, the renowned Provençal poet, actors Fernandel and Raimu, and Ugolin from Pagnol's "Manon of the Springs." On busy days, hundreds of hikers traverse the rocky terrain, often wondering about the mysterious artist behind these remarkable stone creations.
Louis Douard, who turned 86 in July, considers the Garlaban his "grandfather" and has maintained a lifelong connection to this mountain. "I've been coming here since I was a child with my friends," he recalls. "Back then, we walked everywhere. From Aubagne, we would walk all the way to Cassis to swim in the sea, then walk back home." Having no family of his own, Douard has channeled his artistic passion into preserving the cultural heritage of his beloved mountain.
In addition to his rock engravings, Douard has authored numerous handwritten books that are now housed in the Marcel-Pagnol media library in Aubagne. His work represents a continuation of an ancient tradition where shepherds and goat herders would carve symbols and figures into rocks during their long hours watching over their flocks in the Provençal countryside.
