It was in September 1940 that the adventure began when Robot, the dog of young Marcel Ravidat, plunged into a hole in the heart of a forest on the heights of the town of Montignac. This small cavity greatly intrigued the young man. He will discover frescoes left by the first men on earth !
History of the discovery of Lascaux
In September 1940, a teenager, Marcel Ravidat discovered a hole in the hill of Lascaux. He returns on September 12 with 3 of his friends to unravel the mystery of this hole. The four young men enlarge it and manage to slip inside. There, with a lamp as simple lighting, they are the first to have before their eyes the paintings left by our Cro-Magnon ancestors. No human has entered the Lascaux cave for thousands of years! What they find is a wonder: the beginning of human art, the first attempts of mankind.
A splendid discovery
Marcel and his friends discover splendid frescoes drawn on the walls. They represent animals, men, mysterious symbols and have been there for thousands of years. The creatures carried on the walls appear to be castles and running bulls. These frescoes illustrate the theme of hunting and were painted with pieces of burnt wood or bone, ash, and vegetable dyes.
International Center for Cave Art
After the war, Lascaux was open to the public for many years until it closed in 1963. The continuous flow of visitors (1500 / day) and carbon dioxide and human respiration began to degrade the prehistoric paintings of the decorated cave. Today the original Lascaux is closed. The cave is closely watched in order to preserve this site listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. However, in order to allow all audiences to admire the masterpieces of prehistory, an identical reconstruction of the Lascaux site was undertaken (same paintings, same techniques, same pigments …). is the Center International d’Art Parietal de Montignac-Lascaux.
Avenue de Lascaux
24290 Montignac
