Les Ateliers Marcel Carbonel
Marcel Carbonel, master-santon maker since 1935, opened his workshop near Marseille's Abbey St Victor. Today, his grandson Philippe Renoux has taken over the business with the same passion.
The workshop is open to visitors free of charge.
There's always someone on hand to welcome visitors and explain the various stages involved in creating a santon.
You can see the production molds (the mother molds are in a safe) + the paint workshop (gouache so particular that it gives a velvet effect to the santon costumes) as well as the ovens.
The Carbonel workshops are the only ones to make their own colors with pigments they grind and create on site. They are open to the public on Wednesdays, outside the Christmas season.
The boutique, on the other hand, is open all week.
Opening
All year round
Opening hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 9 am and 1 pm and between 2 pm and 6 pm. On Saturday between 10 am and 1 pm and between 2 pm and 6 pm.
Photo gallery
Sub-types
- Art craftsmen
- Christmas crib figure creator
Rates
120 euros pour un groupe de 20 personnes.
80 euros pour un groupe de 10 personnes.
Durée de la visite 45 minutes.
Method of payment
- American Express
- Bank/credit card
- Check
- Cash
Services
Services
- Online shop
- Guided tours
Documents
Discover also
Musée des Santons des Baux
The Museum brings together a large number of pieces from various collections. Neapolitan figurines from the 17th and 18th centuries and 19th-century church santons from the Carmelite convent in Avignon are on display.