Artistic Garden & Sculptures – Saint-Rémy

Artistic Garden & Sculptures – Saint-Rémy

Sleep in the heart of a living garden, a symbol of biodiversity and the Provençal way of life.

The Garden of Alcinoos – Between nature and creation

After an active life as a business leader in the South-East of France, Philippe Michelot settled as a farmer in 1999 in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

As the great-grandson of farmers from Doubs and winegrowers from Burgundy, he wanted to rediscover the colours, scents and rhythms of his childhood holidays on the family farm.

Thus, he acquired this agricultural estate and brought the Mas des Figues back to life:

• 1500 olive trees

• Vines

• Vegetable garden and orchard

• Pastures

• And at the heart of the property, a botanical garden with more than 4000 rose bushes

Culture and agriculture: an intimate link

For Philippe, culture and agriculture come together in time and the care given to the material .

"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."

His artistic approach is inspired by Arte Povera, recovering forgotten or abandoned materials, transformed into sculptures and installations.

The Garden of Alcinoos

The Garden of Alcinoos is a reflection of a life and a journey, where art meets nature.

Named in homage to Alcinous, the legendary king encountered by Ulysses in his Odyssey across the Mediterranean, the garden is an invitation to discovery and meditation:

• Majestic rose gardens

• Water garden

• Medicinal Garden

• Cloister with olive trees

• Artists' Greenhouse

Each step reveals tree sculptures, four-faced totems, giant spheres dancing in the wind. A place to pause, contemplate, and be inspired.

As the Spanish poet Antonio Machado said:

""No hay camino, es camino that se hace el camino""
"There is no path; it is by walking that one builds one's path."

Or, as Heraclitus reminds us:

"It is by flowing towards the sea that rivers remain true to their source."