Discover the story
A few words about the artist
and his work
Artist, potter, sculptor, engraver, painter and builder,
Jean Linard was born in 1931 in La Marche, near
La Charité-sur-Loire. He studied engraving in Paris at the École
Estienne, then returned to his native region.
With ceramist Anne Kjaersgaard, he set up as
potter in La Borne in 1959. Then, in 1961, he bought a
former flint quarry and built the
living quarters on the model of a Danish farm, followed by the
workshops. He continued to develop his house until the end of the 70s.
In the early 80s, he began his work:
building his Cathedral in the resolutely universal spirit of
. You are welcomed by Jesus. You’ll see more
of Joseph and Mary, as well as Buddha and Mohammed.
La Cathédrale is in fact the whole garden: you’ll see
many of the attributes of a religious building: the path
of crosses along the workshops, the gongs after the entrance which
represent the cathedral bells, a baptistery
stuck to the workshops, an altar…
He was inspired by the artists of Art Singulier: Gaudí, le Facteur
Cheval and Picassiette, as well as Picasso, Chagall, Dubuffet…
His garden became a work of art that he nurtured throughout
his life, populated by fantastic pottery, even on the
roofs, and by two-meter-high figures in
iron and mosaic, whom he called “the Guardians of the Temple”.
He uses a variety of techniques and materials to create
his works: stoneware, iron, mosaic, cement and recycled objects.
With his work representative of Art Brut, Art Singulier,
Art Insolite, deeply religious, Jean Linard has created
an enchanted world where peace and serenity reign. His spirit
lives on, his ashes having been scattered
around the grave he built himself.
A symbol of Outsider
Art in the heart
of Berry:
the tallest cathedral in the world…
After building his home and workshops in a former
flint quarry, in 1983 Jean Linard, potter turned
ceramist, began construction of his life’s work
in his garden: an open-air cathedral,
according to the artist himself: the highest cathedral in
the world, because its roof is the sky! He devoted the last
27 years of his life to it.
Made of stone and brick, partly covered with
mosaics, and incorporating various salvaged materials,
this 10 m high cathedral is
resolutely universal.
Religion was not his only source of inspiration:
you can see the names of artists he admired
as well as those of peace figures to whom he wished to pay tribute
such as Mandela, Sister Emmanuelle,
Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King…
Who we are
Charlotte and William
We are a couple in our thirties,
pastry chefs by trade, who fell in love with this monument.
Charlotte has known the site since childhood.
Her first vocation was cooking, and soon
pastry-making. After five years of gourmet studies,
she was recruited by renowned chefs: Michel Rostang,
two-starred chef, pastry chefs
Pierre Hermé, then Yann Couvreur and Christophe Michalak,
for whom she became Assistant Chef.
William, the son of a farmer, grew up in the Vendée region.
Very early on, he developed a passion for pastry-making, pursuing
his studies to enter the world of the sweet. After graduating from
in bakery, he specialized in chocolate-making,
working in a number of famous houses, from the Alps
to Corsica, until he was hired by
Christophe Michalak, where he met Charlotte.
After Jean Linard’s death in 2010, the site was put
up for sale, then listed as a Monuments Historiques
in 2012 and managed by an association from 2013 to 2019.
At the end of 2019, it was closed by municipal decree for
safety reasons and left abandoned.
In September 2020, Charlotte, who has always known this
place, her parents having settled near Henrichemont,
showed it to her companion. The site was still for sale…
After 22 months of transaction and search for
financing, the banks having failed to follow (2020:
in the middle of COVID and an atypical site, listed as a Historic Monument,
in poor condition requiring major work
and for sale for 10 years…) Charlotte and William were able
to finally sign the deed of sale in June 2022. After passing
through the Safety Commission, they were able to open
to visitors on July 14, 2022.
Their aim is to save and restore the work, and to share
this place by enabling as many people as possible to
discover or rediscover it. It’s a rare example
of Singular Art, to be preserved.
They would like to share their know-how with you, and
allow you to extend a moment out of time, in
this very special setting. This site needs to be brought back to life. To contribute to this,
and in the same spirit as Jean Linard, the amphitheatre once again hosts a
cultural program. You’ll find
their homemade products at the reception desk, as a souvenir of the past or as a gift.
If you’d like to be kept informed of developments in their project
and to support them, don’t hesitate to sign up for the newsletter.
Thank you in advance for your participation in saving this site!
