Château des Baux was a monument to carving a fortress out of granite. Down the steps past the village and up the road was the former granite quarry. Now it is an immense cavern with a sandy floor and large stone columns dedicated to themed light shows.
As we entered, the underground cathedral of light was immersively projecting patterns of swirling stars to the surround-sound of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven.” Five minutes later the next light show began. Immediately the vaulted stone came to life and we were in North Africa as seen through the eyes of three nineteenth century French painters: Ingrés, Delacroix, and Gérôme.
There was motion to the art work as it bled down the granite walls and gradually became a painting that joined other paintings being projected to either side. Camel caravans ended up in bazaars and then dissolved into casbahs.
Then the stone pillars divided the casbahs into harems while the sandy floor became a series of colorfully textured carpets.
It was quite an adventure as gigantic masterpieces faded in and out. Two minutes later the next light show began patterning the space as if we were inside an ancient Egyptian temple. The granite columns turned into giant statues.
The walls were covered in hieroglyphics.
Bas relief battle scenes cued Verdi’s “Aida.”
At one point the light showered us with crafted gold.
Then, before we could get to “Stairway To Heaven,” Anubis flashed on a wall I was passing.
When the god of the underworld materializes in front of your face, it’s time to go.
The “at war” image is an accurate copy of a wall carving in Ramses II’s temple at Abu Simbel.
I suspect they started with photos of the real thing.