The place
20 minutes by bus from city centre.
Cézanne started to work in the Bibémus quarries from 1897. The plateau of Bibémus stretches far beyond the family home. He came here to paint the stone reserves of the town, its very foundation.
The texture of the rock imparts it with a luminous yellow ochre colour, rich with harmonic tints.Cézanne could not help but be moved by the contrasting geometric shapes of the rocks, the wilderness of the bushes and the dramatic cliffs. The magic of the quarries lies in the subtle interplay of order and disorder,mineral and vegetable. In artistic terms, Bibémus is not only like Cézanne in character, but also laden with Cubist, Fauvist or abstract features. It is no coincidence that the works which Cézanne created there were an inspiration to Braque, Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky and Mondrian.
The Bibémus quarries have undergone development by landscapist Philippe Deliau - Cabinet Alep. The site offers a circuit which reveals Cézanne’s viewpoints for some of his paintings.
Opening hours
Open all year long on request.
For safety reasons, the site might be closed from June to September.
FIT reservation
Individuals can only visit the quarries during the half day tour "Discovering the places of Cezanne" including the visit of the quarries and the Cezanne workshop.
Group reservation
Only on request.
