Aven Armand is a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

located in the

Cévennes National Park Cévennes National Park (french: Parc national des Cévennes) is a French national park located in Southern France, in the mountainous area of Cévennes. Created in 1970, the park has its administrative seat in Florac at Florac Castle. It is l ...

of France, in the

Lozère Lozère (; oc, Losera ) is a landlocked department in the region of Occitanie in Southern France, located near the Massif Central, bounded to the northeast by Haute-Loire, to the east by Ardèche, to the south by Gard, to the west by Aveyron, ...

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...

'', between

Meyrueis Meyrueis is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. Geography The town of Meyrueis is located between the foothills of Mont Aigoual to the south, and the Causse Méjean to the north. The town thus marks the border between the ge ...

and

Sainte-Enimie Sainte-Enimie (; oc, Santa Enimia) is a former commune in the Lozère department in southern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Gorges du Tarn Causses. It was founded in the 7th century by Énimie, who started a con ...

known for the tallest known stalagmite of 30 meters.

History

It was first scientifically explored by the French explorers

Louis Armand Louis François Armand (17 January 1905 – 30 August 1971) was a French engineer and senior civil servant who managed several public companies, as well as had a significant role in World War II as an officer in the Resistance. He became the f ...

and

Édouard-Alfred Martel Édouard-Alfred Martel (1 July 1859, Pontoise, Val-d'Oise – 3 June 1938, Montbrison), the 'father of modern speleology', was a world pioneer of cave exploration, study, and documentation. Martel explored thousands of caves in his native Franc ...

in 1897. The cave begins as a narrow pit, descending before opening up into an enormous vaulted chamber known as the ', or "Great Hall". The ''Grand Salle'' is close to long and wide. The floor is covered with a proliferation of fragile limestone

speleothems A speleothem (; ) is a geological formation by mineral deposition (geology), deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves. Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. They can take a variety ...

in a variety of shapes and sizes, created by the slow dripping of water through the stone over thousands of years. Some have reached heights of close to . It has been open to the public since 1927, after a man-made tunnel and walkway paths were created to permit easier viewing of the ''Grand Salle''.

In popular culture

In June 2017, French singer

Nolwenn Leroy Nolwenn Le Magueresse (; born 28 September 1982), known by her stage name Nolwenn Leroy (), is a French singer-songwriter, musician and actress. Originally classically trained (violin and opera singing), she rose to fame after winning the second ...

used the Aven Armand cave as a setting for the music video of her single "Gemme"."Nolwenn Leroy a tourné son clip "Gemme" dans l’aven Armand, en Lozère"
''

Midi Libre ''Midi Libre'' () is a French daily newspaper in Montpellier that covers general news. It began publication in 1944. Since 1949, the newspaper has organised a cycling stage race, the Grand Prix du Midi Libre. References External links Web ...

''. 25 July 2017.

References

External links

Official Site
Limestone caves Show caves in France Tourist attractions in Occitania (administrative region) Caves of Lozère {{Lozère-geo-stub