About — Philippe & the soul of the Mas

Philippe Michelot | Le Mas des Figues, a story of passion · Saint-Rémy

Discover Philippe Michelot, organic farmer, artist and host of Mas des Figues. A story of passion, land and authentic hospitality in Provence since 1999.

My name is Philippe. I grow olive trees, I make oil, I cook, and I welcome people like you.

Mas des Figues is a story that began in 1999, when I settled in this land of the Alpilles. After an active life as a business owner in the South-East of France, I wanted to rediscover the colours, the scents and the rhythms of my childhood holidays on the family farm.

The great-grandson of farmers from the Doubs region and winemakers from Burgundy, I acquired this agricultural estate, planted olive trees, dug a vegetable garden, and restored an old farmhouse. Today, it is a living estate, a place where we live in harmony with the seasons, where we eat what the land provides, and where we welcome those who seek a little bit of authenticity.

Philippe, farmer & artist

For Philippe, culture and agriculture converge in time and the care given to the material. His artistic approach is inspired by Arte Povera, recovering forgotten or abandoned materials, transforming them into sculptures and installations.

" With time, the earth yields vegetables and fruit. With time, pasture grass becomes milk and meat. With time, a block of clay or stone becomes a work of art. The farmer nourishes the body, the artist nourishes the spirit." — Philippe

What Philippe likes

• Mornings when the bread comes out of the oven at 6:30 am

• Evenings when the sky is starry above the Alpilles

• Meeting people who become friends

· Walking among its olive trees at sunrise

· Share Grandma Louise's recipes with her guests

The silence of the garrigue, broken only by the cicadas .

His philosophy

Cultivate with nature, not against it.

• Receive guests as if they were at home, not like they were in a hotel

• To transmit rather than to accumulate

· Let Provence speak for itself

" Come as you are. Leave as you would have always wanted to be."

— Philippe 🌿

Open 5 months a year · 5 bedrooms · A gîte (self-catering cottage) · A restaurant · A passion