Pascal Nau, “an ugly duckling” who became a great stonemason in the heart of the forest in Montfa

This Tuesday, January 14, in his workshop bathed in light in Montfa, Pascal Nau, 48, puts the finishing touches on “club armchairs” created as part of an unusual collaboration with visual artists and designers. His project? Recreate a living room entirely in stone.

Because this adopted Ariégeois excels in the art of sculpting exceptional works in marble, mixing tradition and innovation. “For this living room, all that’s missing is a light fixture and a table, but the more we advance, the more ideas flow!”, slips the craftsman with a laugh.

It has been almost ten years since he founded his company Pyrénées Pierres, nestled in the heart of the forest. “I really fell in love with this place,” he confides.

Each year, he roughs up, sands, then sculpts around a hundred pieces: contemporary furniture, decoration, daring projects. He takes on all challenges, whether it involves renovating a low wall for a villager or fulfilling prestigious orders. “I have just finished a monumental staircase for a castle in Ariège, but it was for a great fortune… I prefer to keep it a secret!”

Pascal is passionate about the materials that he carefully selects from quarries, notably two emblematic marbles from the Pyrenees: Sarrancolin marble and the Opéra Fantastico, famous for adorning prestigious places such as the Opéra Garnier, the Château de Versailles or again the National Assembly.

“Each stone is unique”

Pascal acquired his know-how by traveling the roads and training with master craftsmen across France. “I was the ugly duckling of the family,” he smiles when talking about his atypical career. Having left academia to join the Compagnons du Devoir at 19, he discovered the working world with wonder.

One of his first major projects was the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris in 1995, where he worked for two years, every day at a height of more than 60 meters. “It was an unforgettable experience. Restoring this iconic place had a profound impact on me.”

These numerous experiments subsequently allowed him to discover a fascinating material: stone, with its constantly evolving graphics. “Each stone is unique and incomparable.” When he does not have a precise order, Pascal happily lets himself be guided by the material and its natural forms.

“In this profession, we find both hardness and softness. It is hard to sculpt a beautiful face in stone, but once finished, the sensation to the touch is very soft,” confides- he with emotion, before whispering to his wife: “Yes, I don’t always have a heart of stone”.

Renelle Parent, his partner of 50 years, shares the same passion. A former carpenter, she chose two years ago to train alongside him. “Stone has always fascinated me. As a child, I collected fossils with my father and decorated my room with stones,” she says. For Renelle, working with a material that is thousands of years old is a privilege. “It’s moving to bring a family or local heritage back to life.”

A demanding profession, but in full renaissance

But the job of stonemason remains demanding. Between the changing seasons and the lack of labor, the profession is struggling to attract young people. “It’s a shame, because requests continue to increase,” explains Pascal, who is currently working on a statue of the Virgin for the town of Ilhet, in the Hautes-Pyrénées.

“Stone is coming back into fashion. People are rediscovering this timeless, durable material steeped in history. They know they are creating something that will last through generations.”

And in this demanding world, women like Renelle are asserting themselves more and more. “When you lift 250 kg of stone, men and women are on an equal footing. Today, with modern tools, this job becomes a daily pleasure. Preconceptions fall away,” emphasizes Pascal.

Among their many orders, some more special ones are waiting in a corner of the workshop, where the couple hopes to soon welcome interns. Among them: marble funerary steles, a sharply increasing demand.

“People take the time to think and return to more natural, more essential things. The stone perfectly embodies this quest for authenticity,” concludes the enthusiast.