The history of the Grotto of Saint-Cézaire

Do you know the story of the discovery of the Grotto of Saint-Cézaire?

The grotto estate was once a parcel of land belonging to a farming family, the Dozols.
They grew vines, olives and wheat.

On June 16, 1890, Léon Dozol was ploughing the field when he discovered a gaping hole in the earth.
He paid no attention to it, and used it for years as a pit to throw away all the vegetable waste from his field.

Over the years, waste accumulated, but the hole was never filled.
Intrigued by the infinite capacity of this cavity, he decided to explore, armed only with a rope and a candle.

That was the day he discovered the cave!
Amazed by the stalactites and stalagmites, he brought his whole family down to show them around.

Over the next 12 years, the Dozol family set about developing the cave: building the staircases, installing the lighting...
The work was completed in 1900. And the first visitors were able to discover this unusual and fascinating attraction.

Since then, the cave of Saint-Cézaire has become a popular tourist attraction, welcoming thousands of visitors each year.

The Grotto, a film location for the cinema!

The Grotte de Saint-Cézaire is a popular destination for filmmakers because of its fascinating atmosphere and unique natural beauty.

A number of films have been shot in this cave, including Jean Girault's "Le Gendarme et les Gendarmettes" in 1982, in which the cave was used to represent a prehistoric cave.

In 2000, Christophe Gans' film "Le Pacte des Loups" also used the Grotte de Saint-Cézaire as a location for some of its scenes.

The filmmakers were attracted by the natural beauty of the cave, as well as its large rooms and spectacular rock formations, which provide a unique setting for the film scenes.

To discover other unusual anecdotes, watch the program Les curiosités du Sud on our Youtube channel