“Space Messiah”, giant statues, hunting lemurs. In Castellian, the incredible ashram of the “holy city” of Mandarom

On Verdon Hill, from its 21-meter height, it’s hard to miss the Cosmic Christ statue, which embraces the gorgeous waters of Lake Castillon. Armed with a sword, he inspects the houses of the small village of La Baume, located a few kilometers from the beautiful Castellane in the Alpes-de-Vere-Provence. This giant metal sculpture is one of the only elements that betrays the presence of the mysterious holy city of Mandarome from the houses of La Baume. In the heart of the Verdon Regional Natural Park, at an altitude of 1,200 meters, the monastery nevertheless spreads over several tens of hectares and contains many monuments. A true “Disneyland” of religions, imagined 53 years ago by Gilbert Bourdin from Martinique. Since his death in 1998, his followers have perpetuated his belief in “aumism,” which aims to: “To unite all the religious currents of the country.” And this with the greatest discretion.