The Alchemical Tradition

Provence's connections to medieval alchemy run deep. The region's Jewish communities, before periodic expulsions, included scholars who preserved Arabic alchemical texts. Nostradamus, born in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, represents only the most famous of Provençal occultists.

The Philosopher's Stone of Montmajour

The Abbey of Montmajour near Arles harbored alchemists among its monks. Legend speaks of Brother Bacon (no relation to Roger Bacon) who achieved the Great Work, creating the Philosopher's Stone. But instead of gold, he sought the Elixir of Life to serve God longer.

The elixir worked too well. Brother Bacon lived for centuries, watching fellow monks age and die, empires rise and fall. He became a figure of terror—the Undying Monk who haunted the abbey's ruins after its abandonment. Travelers reported encountering an ancient monk who spoke Latin mixed with languages they couldn't identify, his eyes holding centuries of sorrow.

The legend says he finally found release when he located another alchemist worthy of his knowledge. He passed on the formula for the elixir—along with desperate warnings against using it—then crumbled to dust, finally allowed to die.

The Gold-Makers of the Luberon

The Luberon mountains sheltered communities of alchemists and heretics. The gold-makers (faiseurs d'or) supposedly could transmute base metals but at terrible cost. Each transformation required a portion of the alchemist's life force. Young gold-makers aged rapidly, their hair whitening, their backs bending, until they appeared ancient despite their years.

Villages near the Luberon developed ways to identify gold-makers: - Their gold was heavier than natural gold - Dogs howled in their presence - Wine soured if they touched the cup - Their shadows fell the wrong direction at noon

Despite the dangers, desperate people still sought them out. The gold worked for purchasing necessities but brought misfortune for luxuries. A loaf of bread bought with alchemical gold nourished, but jewels purchased with it brought disaster.