After 18 months of work, the Rocher Mistral opened its doors.
The park offers seven shows, two of which are nocturnal, as well as a restaurant, a market and a tavern.
The scenography is based on a walk-discovery of the castle where the visitor is immersed in a succession of short scenes performed.
A light auspicious mistral was blowing over the Château de La Barben on this inauguration day of the Rocher Mistral, the park dedicated to Provençal history and culture created by Vianney d'Alençon.
It has been a few centuries since this castle, the oldest stone in the region, had not known such agitation.
Nearly a thousand guests, among whom many personalities and politicians were able to discover the seven shows, including two nocturnal, offered by this park, a sort of “Provencal Puy du Fou”.
The immersive experience is inspired by historical elements
The scenography is based on a walk-discovery of the castle where from room to room, space to space, the visitor is immersed in a succession of short scenes played in a loop by actors. "A physical job, but welcome after the complicated year lived", explained one of them costumed as a nobleman. Lights, sets, sounds, the immersive experience for the general public is worth the detour. The historical narration, all to the glory of the kingdom of France and Provence, is done mainly through the eyes of a young nobleman bearing the surname Forbin, an old Provencal aristocratic family who owned the castle of La Barben for nearly five centuries. Thus, from Provence in the year 1000, to the so-called Cascaveous revolt in 1630, until Claude Forbin's (authentic) trip to the kingdom of Siam,the immersive experience is inspired by historical elements and leads the visitor through times and places.
At the exit, the first-time visitors seem rather satisfied. "It's stupid as a comparison but I feel a bit like at Disney", launches Damien, whose brother worked on the project. Paul, 21 years old and a law student in Aix-en-Provence, has already been to Puy du Fou. "I thought it would be a pale copy but it holds the measure, it's incredible," enthuses the one who came to play small hands on this inauguration day.
At inauguration, ceremony.
And Vianney d'Alençon was all smiles as he greeted and played the guide for Renaud Muselier, the newly re-elected region president.
At his side also Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State in charge of tourism, came to make “the sales representatives of blue-white-red tourism”, he declared from his desk during his turn to speak.
Disappointment on the other hand, Jean-Pierre Foucault was unable to make the trip.
"Retained by professional imperatives in Tahiti", the star presenter who loves Provence and owns a villa on the coast, in Carry-le-Rouet, however had the delicacy to leave a message.
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The guests of the park and its owner could have a smile yesterday, in front of the success of this project to 30 million euros, funded to the tune of 7 million euros by the region and the department, which mobilized nearly 500 people to full time for the past 18 months.
But Vianney d'Alençon, who mentioned in his inaugural speech "a course of obstacles and trials illustrating the complexity of our time", will also have to defend himself in court on July 13.
France Nature Environnement is at the origin of the complaint, believing that the promoters of the park have undertaken certain works without authorization and have harmed the environment, in particular a colony of bats of an endangered species.
An immediate resident of the park was also considering an appeal to the administrative court.
“I measured 75 decibels in front of my house at 10:30 pm while a municipal decree says that the noise must stop at 10 pm,” he said on Thursday, observing the ceremony from afar.
History
Castle
Marseilles
Culture
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