Discover one of the last French candle makers, in Tarascon
We offer an unusual visit in this period of festivities to see a little known trade, the making of candles with a ladle, just as it was done in the 15th century.
The Ciergerie de l’Abbaye des Prémontrés is located in Tarascon, between Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Arles.
This company is called Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant.
It is surprising to find it in such a modern place, big hangars in the industrial zone of Tarascon.
A little bit of history....
It is the Pères blancs des Prémontrés installed at the Abbaye de Frigolet, between Avignon and Tarascon who created it in 1858.
In 1903, the Peres Blancs went into exile in Belgium and Great-Britain.
They sold the ciergerie to Mr. Chabrier, who set up shop in former stables, in the heart of his Provencal village, Graveson.
The quality of the production attracts church men and lovers of good work and the fame of the ciergerie increased until, in October 2009, a fire damaged this beautiful shop, destroying dozens of wax molds.
It was Stéphane Richard, owner of Tissus Soleiado in Tarascon, who purchased the company, moving it into this functional place at the entrance of the city to open a workshop-boutique.
Are you familiar with the profession of the candlemaker?
Six work at the Ciergerie de l’Abbaye des Prémontrés, all surprisingly young, passionate and proud to be a Master Candle maker.
One of them, concentrated on the finishing of immense candles, explains the two manufacturing techniques of the 15th century: the one called "the dunking" make conical candles possible Cotton wicks are stretched on a frame and dunked many times in the bath of wax at 70°, until the desired diameter is obtained.
The second technique "ladling" demands real skill.
Each Master Candle maker has his own technique but his movement must be precise, he must constantly watch the proper repartition of the wax when he pours it with a ladle on the wicks suspended from a hoop and use the gauge to verify the diameter of the candle... A candle 130 cm high and 7cm in diameter represents one week's worth of work.
Candles, decorative objects
Molding which allows the manufacturing of candles in all forms has existed for approximately twenty years. Original photophore and thus created, with inclusion of Soleiado cloth, pictures, a camaïeu of pieces of wax or colored wax disks
Did you know?
La Ciergerie de l’Abbaye des Prémontrés works regularly for the movie industry and makes double wick candles for movies .. so that the flame is very visible on the screen
