What if I told you that this unassuming entrance to the Grotte Louis holds secrets from prehistoric times to a grisly 19th-century murder? This is no ordinary cave. Welcome to the Grotte Louis. It is also known as Baume Loubière.
The name Loubière comes from the Occitan word “loubiero”. This means “wolf den”. Perhaps wolves once roamed here. Maybe bones were found inside.
J. Simonet discovered the Grotte Louis in 1829. But it wasn’t until 1886 that the first expedition explored its depths.
In 1893, Eugène Fournier and C. Rivière found amazing things inside. They reported their discoveries to the Society of Anthropology of Paris. There was a flint knife. Three flint scrapers were found. A polishing stone was also discovered. Two bone awls and pottery shards came to light. Some pottery seemed to have been made on a potter’s wheel. Animal and human remains were found too. Some were fragments of long bones.
But the Grotte Louis has a dark side. In 1898, the cave was sealed. This happened after the murder of little Antonia Descours. The authorities wanted to stop curious onlookers. They might damage the site. They could also get hurt.
A deathbed confession solved the crime in 1915. A shepherd admitted to the murder. He told his secret to a priest.
The Grotte Louis remained closed until 1930. Then, a company decided to turn it into a tourist attraction. They even built a restaurant here. The work took 15 months. They improved access. They installed stairs with railings. Electricity was installed.
Advertisements promoted the Grotte Louis. “Tourists, beware. Don’t leave Marseille without visiting the Loubière caves”. The Grotte Louis even served as a nightclub. But it closed in March 1989. The city of Marseille made the decision.
The Grotte Louis is about 250 meters long. Its entrance sits 255 meters above sea level. It lies in Marseille’s 13th arrondissement. That’s two kilometers northwest of Château Gombert.
The Étoile mountain range has many prehistoric sites. The Grotte Louis is part of this rich history. Raymond Jean wrote about these caves in 1976. His book is called “Fontaine obscure”. It is a story of love and witchcraft in 17th-century Provence. Jean Contrucci also wrote a novel inspired by the cave.
The Grotte Louis has even appeared in films. Claude Boissol’s “La Peau de l’ours” was filmed here in 1954 with Jean Richard. An Italian drama used the cave as a backdrop in 1966.
Martine Vassal announced plans to reopen the cave in 2020. Who knows what the future holds for this fascinating place?