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Discover the Art of Petrification
Open

Today Friday 24 March : 9h30-12h / 14h-18h

Type of visit: Self-guided tour of about 45 minutes

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Friday
24
March

9h30-12h / 14h-18h

Self-guided tour of about 45 minutes

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9h30-12h / 14h-18h

Self-guided tour of about 45 minutes

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8 €
Adult fare
+15 years
5 €
Child fare
7-15 years
Free
Children
-7 years

Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire

« Here man turns water into stone »

Only that family-run atelier, established in 1821, holds the trade secrets of a unique of its kind know-how : petrification handicraft. The craftsmen at Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire have been using thermo-mineral springs for two hundred years to make artworks out of calcium carbonate.

Enjoy a unique and timeless moment in a strange universe of water and stone!

The hot springs will lead you to explore the most peculiar curiosity in Auvergne. Following your subterranean immersion, the doors of the Atelier open up to you and Eric Papon, Master Craftsman in Petrification, shares the secrets of his rare and ancestral know-how. Here is an unforgettable business visit for old and young alike.

 

An exceptional site

Taking you from an underground immersion to the astonishing petrifying ladder, come and visit the Fontaines Pétrifiantes .

The tour

An ancestral know-how

Incrustation on mould or crystallization, discover the trade techniques of those calcium artworks.

The petrification process

Unique creations

The calcium low-reliefs and crystallizations we make reveal a matchless finish, let us unveil our collection.

The products

The handicraft of Petrification

The craftsmen at Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint-Nectaire have held the petrification handicraft for 200 years. In that family-run atelier, the know-how was passed on from father to son over 7 generations. Eric Papon, Master Craftsman in Petrification, still implements that technique turning calcite into a perfect reproduction of the patterns. Combining tradition with innovation allows him to create original artworks going beyond the limits of calcium carbonate…

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