PORTRAITS
ART CRAFTSMEN AND TRADITIONS IN OCCITANIE
When you visit a region like Occitanie and take a close interest in its culture and heritage, it is also interesting to meet its art craftsmen , often located in radiant and authentic little towns of character, which harmoniously accompany their know-how and who take pleasure, in addition to the presentation of their personalized, tailor-made products, in welcoming you there welcome you to visit their workshops and shops
alongside the discovery of their often ancestral traditions.
Our beautiful provinces are also places conducive to creativity where men and women passionate about the art
craftsmen that I have encountered and who have shared with me their love of work well done, blended with traditions
and values consolidated by time that are pleasant to encounter, particularly in the context
of the European Days of
Heritage of Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September 2025
or, in parallel with the discovery of the heritage and cultural wealth of the territories of the OCCITANIE region, we take the time to exchange with these artists in addition to
view their many creations, each as diverse as the other, whether it be tapestry, cabinet making or marble sculpture,
through to pottery, enamels, cutlery or fragrant candles ,
the activities of craftsmen in OCCITANIE are multiple and
diverse and always carried out in a personalized framework called the tailor-made. My journey to the heart of the region
begins in the north of the department of Haute Garonne in
the radiant territory of HAUTS TOLOSANS made up of 29
equally shimmering cities some of which are a pleasure to discover, such as GRENADE or CADOURS
with their majestic halls that we also enjoy discovering on market days alongside the good local products, as well as the 17 buildings classified as historical monuments that we find in particular at the castles of Laréole, Merville, Drudas or Larra, completed with a detour to the Ursuline convent or the Abbey of Sainte Marie Du Désert and all these delightful places made up of a magnificently preserved heritage, witness to our history that we visit with interest and pleasure during the European Heritage Days are located in natural spaces that accompany the creativity of the craftsmen as I would note at
LAUNAC
where David Léger, sculptor from the workshop, welcomes me ERRIAPE which specializes in the creation
conservation and restoration of works of art by producing pieces personalized in stone as in marble." My background is
multifaceted,having been a stonemason since the age of 18 and after a stay in Italy followed by training at the School of
Fine Arts, i returned to France in 2005 to then created the workshop in 2019 where I create products whether in the field of design, furniture, interior decoration as well as the creation and restoration of works of art whether for a
private customer as well as for public clients such as national museums or municipalities like the Marble Neptune
Fountain from the city of Carcassonne. I use quality marbles, including Grand Antique d'Aubert, Carrara Marble, Benou
Marble like Caunes Minervois in good balance with the specifications of my clients while maintaining a high level of
quality in my creations because being a art craftsman , it is also to a certain extent being the guardian of the memory of ancestral traditions"David Léger tells me with a big smile while showing me one of his latest works.Heading further east to Granada while admiring the typical landscapes of the region to meet Jean Yves Bourbeau, cutler since 1985 who runs
a craftsman cutlery since 2012 which is the very expression of craftsman know-how and the love of a job well done. " "i apply a quality requirement in the manufacture of knives because each piece is unique and made to measure in addition to the duration and manufacturing times because some knives sometimes require 10 to 40 hours of manual
work and this following a well-structured preparation and production process which goes from design and cutting, grinding and chiseling, heat treatment and annealing and finally the finishing with assembly and adjustment.Our
products are multiple and varied, namely folding knives, fixed knives,kitchen and table knives and also collection knives
in parallel with additional services that we carry out which are including knife sharpening and cutlery courses"Jean Yves
Bourbeau tells me while presenting his latest creations next to the entrance to his workshop
An Environment Conducive to Creativity
Dispersed and located across the 13 departments that make up the Region, integrating a balance between cities and
territories, the crafts and their actors in OCCITANIE also collaborate with different regional organizations and national
bodies concerned, including the French Institute of Knowledge, the French art workshops, the chambers of trades and
crafts, the network of towns and crafts in parallel with close collaboration with the
CONSEIL REGIONAL DE LA REGION
OCCITANIE in the management, support and implementation of their projects. Personal motivations and passion are always very evident when we interview these men and women , often between 2 sticks or cuts, and watching an
craftsman work in his workshop is always pleasant because we learn lots of things while observing the meticulousness
of their hands as they shape and adjust “Handmade” products expressing all the satisfaction of a job well done as I would see with Christine Anterrieu and Aurore Viegas De Sousa located in
the towns of Port Vendres and Saint Cyprien
located on the edge of the Mediterranean in the PYRENEES ORIENTALES department nicknamed “The Pearl of Occitanie” as its heritage and attractions are rich and diverse. » My workshop and my shop called “Une sardine à la mer” date from 2018 with my installation in Port Vendres where I work both with wood including elements of salvaged boats
that I transform in addition to varnishing and embellishing shells, all transformed into art objects alongside ceramic
work” Christine Anterrieu tells me while introducing myself small painted and varnished shell figurines.After a walk
through the streets of Saint Cyprien, i joined Aurore Viegas De Sousa in the Republic Square with its weekly market and
its products presented under the label "Merveilles Du Village" which gives it a very local touch.
» Our name “Chez Maerlle” has one sidevery familiar which pleases our customers because we are above all a unified house of artisans and
creators based on an association created in 2023 with very varied achievements ranging from ceramics, candles
perfumed, cabinetmaking or even painting "
Aurore Viegas De Sousa tells me while putting away products on her stall.
My journey takes me further north to Le
Gard department in the majestic city of Nîmes
which is delightful with its masterful architectural heritage and its well-known and appreciated traditions that we also enjoy discover while
strolling through its small streets dotted with brightly colored flowers and typical shops of craftsmen like Atelier
Boutique 58 which presents a whole range of tailor-made products which are including tapestry, linocut, leather
jewelry and bookbinding, which make all these art craftsmen are the guardians of our heritage in good balance with the
cultural and heritage wealth of the OCCITANIE region that we find in its towns as well as in its radiant little cities of
character which also participate in an environment conducive to creativity with a tourist potential that we never tire of discovering as there is so much to discover in these great and authentic cities where history, culture, gastronomy and the art of living are constantly combined.
Report: Gabriel PAGE
Photos Credit : Gabriel PAGE / OT Hauts Tolosans / City of Nimes / Getty Images
