Picture Paul Cezanne’s brushstrokes. Imagine his gaze sweeping across Gardanne. This town nestled between Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. He captured its essence in his paintings. Gardanne’s story is woven into its very landscape. Its past is visible in the old buildings. Its present in the bustling markets. Its future uncertain yet hopeful.
Gardanne has a history stretching back to Neolithic times. Archaeological discoveries suggest settlements existed around 4000 BC. However the town’s true birth dates back to the Middle Ages. A fortified settlement a castrum was built on the south slope of Cativel hill. The Cartulary of Saint-Victor Abbey in Marseille mentions this castrum. It also mentions the parish church of Notre-Dame. This church was transferred there. The land belonged to the Abbey. Throughout the Middle Ages the castle and the seigneury of Gardanne belonged to different noble families.
In the 1300s the inhabitants demanded rights and freedoms. They did so through their municipal magistrates. King Rene of Anjou owned the communal domain from 1454 to 1480. He loved spending time there. He indulged in his favorite pastimes. These were agriculture viticulture livestock breeding and hunting. He maintained a flock of up to 1300 sheep. The hunting lodge known as the Pavilion of King Rene or the Pavilion of Four Towers still stands. It wasn’t actually built during King Rene’s lifetime though. It was constructed much later between 1573 and 1583.
The Forbin family then took control of Gardanne. One member Claude de Forbin became a privateer for Louis XIV. In 1676 the inhabitants bought back their domain for 134000 livres. They freed themselves from seigneurial tutelage. At this time coal mining began. The coal was needed because of a wood shortage. This is a little-known fact about Gardanne.
The 1800s brought modernization. Coal fuelled Marseille’s industries. These included oil mills tile works and soap factories. Gardanne’s transformation accelerated. The Saint-Pierre stream was covered. A railway station was built connecting it to Marseille and Aix-en-Provence. Paul Cezanne lived in Gardanne for fifteen months between 1885 and 1886. He painted several now famous paintings here.
Pechiney’s aluminum plant opened at the end of the 19th century. Mining also expanded. This spurred rapid population growth. Immigrants arrived from Italy Poland Czechoslovakia Armenia Spain and North Africa. They found work in the mines the Pechiney plant or opened businesses. The mines employed 8000 people at their peak in 1949. Mining ceased in February 2003.
The aluminum industry required immense energy. A large thermal power station was built. Initially it had a capacity of 165 MWe. It ran on coal. Later it was expanded to include a biomass-fueled unit. This thermal power station is still a part of Gardanne’s landscape. The coal-fired units eventually closed. However the biomass unit continued operating until recently. The site is being repurposed.
The Alteo aluminum plant continues to operate. It employs hundreds of people. It uses bauxite imported from Guinea. The waste management practices of this plant have however caused controversy and legal issues. The impact on the marine environment has been a source of concern for many years.
Gardanne’s history is a story of industry immigration and adaptation. It is also a story of art. Cezanne’s presence is still felt in the town. The town’s transformation continues. It faces both challenges and opportunities in the 21st century.