Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The King's quarry is a historic marbling farm located east of Caunes-Minervois, in the department of Aude. Active mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries, it provided jaspered red and green marbles, called "du Languedoc", very popular for their baroque character. These stones have adorned major monuments such as the Grand Trianon de Versailles, as well as Toulouse and Parisian buildings. The Canal du Midi, opened in 1681, facilitated their dissemination throughout France.

The exploitation began around 1610, when Jean d'Alibert, abbot of Caunes, asked the expertise of the Italian marbrier Stéfano Soriano (or Sormano) to assess the local deposits. After testing, Soriano obtained the concession in 1633, and production first exported to Italy. From 1662, the marbles of Caunes became fashionable in France, embodying the Baroque style. In 1665, French partners (Baux and Rossy) joined the Italians in laying the stone on the national market.

The decline occurred in the classical era, which left these flamboyant marbles in favour of monochrome varieties. In the 19th century, exploitation resumed with grizzly or fossil-grey marbles, employing up to 120 people in eight local enterprises. The King's career, classified as a historical monument in 2006, retains a vertiginous front (up to 50 metres). Today, only the nearby Rocamat career partially perpetuates this tradition, exporting mainly to Italy.

The remains around quarries, like the ruins of carriagehouses in irregular marble blocks, recall the craft methods of the past. The site also includes nearby quarries (grey marble, Buffens rock) and their access ramps, protected since 2006. Property shared between the State and a private company, it illustrates the industrial and artistic heritage of the Minervois.

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