Grotte de Villars
Click on the photos to see an enlarged version
My thanks to Anya for finding all this information for me.
At the end of 1953, as evening was falling on a cold winter's day, a team of the spéléo-club of Périgueux wandered in the woods of Cluzeau.
Under a group of sharp rocks was found a fox hole blocked by stones. A light mist left this hole, an unmistakeable sign that there was a cave below the opening.
After having opened the passage, the discoverers, Marie Claude Ferres, Yann Jezequel, Robert de Faccio, Bernard Pierret and Pierre Vidal found a marvellous rock garden. During many expeditions, the speleologists explored a whole tangle of galleries and rooms extending more than 13 kilometers and on several levels.
Five years later, in December 1958 a new discovery was going to make of Villars a sanctuary: during an exploration, Pierre Vidal member of the spéléo-club of Périgueux observed many prehistoric paintings covered by calcite: Villars is a decorated cave. Abbot Breuil appraised the paintings and in 1959 the Grotte de Villars was opened to the public.
Photo and text: www.grotte-villars.com
Salle des Peintures
The paintings date from around 17 000 BP and were discovered in 1953 by the Périgeux potholers club. It is the largest underground network in the Périgord, with more than 13 kms explored. The underground river has hollowed out huge chambers, connected to each other by galleries.
Photo: Hard copy pamphlet from www.grotte-villars.com
Painting known as "The little blue horse"
Some of the paintings, such as this one in the Salle des Peintures are covered with a thin layer of clacite which gives the paintings this particular bluish hue.
Photo: Hard copy pamphlet from www.grotte-villars.com
Painting known as "The Horses Fresco"
Photo: Hard copy pamphlet from www.grotte-villars.com
Painting known as "The Sorcerer and the Bison"
This is one of the few known paintings of the human form in prehistoric european art.
Photo: Hard copy pamphlet from www.grotte-villars.com
This page last modified Tuesday 26 April 2005
If you have any photographs or information which would be useful for this site please contact Don Hitchcock
Webmaster: Don Hitchcock
Hitchcock Lane
Armidale NSW 2350
Australia
Email: don@donsmaps.com
At the end of 1953, as evening was falling on a cold winter's day, a team of the spéléo-club of Périgueux wandered in the woods of Cluzeau. 
