Rocks of Rufino

In the heart of the Combrailles region, sculptor Rufino has created a park where sculptures carved out of rock depict human or animal figures to raise visitors' awareness of messages of tolerance, respect and the fight against indifference.
Discover the park on your own or with a guided tour. Rufino will be delighted to explain the history of the site and the sculptures.
The sculpture park (9 ha), located in the heart of the forest at the foot of the Morge river, has been under construction since 2012. Based on a private initiative by sculptor Rufino, the project is part of the local tourist network in the Combrailles Auvergne region. It enhances the natural environment by seeking the right balance between nature and the representation of human or animal nature. As you stroll at your own pace along the 2.6 km-long dirt paths (park adjacent to the GR300), you'll be able to see several sculptures or groups of sculptures. You'll discover the themes dear to the sculptor's heart: beyond physical appearances and human suffering (disability, mistreatment, discrimination...), he wishes to deliver a message of TOLERANCE, love, respect and wisdom; universal messages sculpted for a few hundred years.

The park's originality lies in the fact that it works directly on the site's rock. The fragility of the stone, with its natural cracks, makes the sculptor's work difficult, forcing him to constantly adapt as he creates.
This astonishing contrast between the hardness and fragility of the stone only reinforces the artist's approach.
Soaking up their form, Rufino gives free rein to his imagination, to offer us groups of sculptures, always on the theme of Tolerance and respect for difference.

The proximity of the work facilitates exchanges between visitors and the sculptor. By questioning the sculptor about his approach, visitors gain a better understanding of the meaning and symbolism conveyed by these multiple faces, human or animal bodies, endowed with powerful expressions and emotions. Wisdom, joy, sadness or melancholy, anger or rage, compassion, pride, solitude, love... a wide range of emotions is represented, without overlooking the negative aspects, both physical and psychological, that are the consequences of certain illnesses or suffering.

Each sculpture tells its own story, essentially that of the women who show us how strong and combative they are in the face of illness, discrimination and humiliation. They reveal themselves for all to see,
as they are, without hiding. They alone symbolize all that the artist, through art, wishes to transmit to others and bequeath to future generations:
" ... Keeping strength and courage in the face of life's difficulties, keeping the hope of overcoming illness ... no longer hiding ... not being ashamed ... to show ourselves as we are, and as we were born ... to believe in life, because life is beautiful ...".
Rufino.

It's up to us, then, to follow in his footsteps along the paths of his park, to get a glimpse of his creations here and there, to become aware of the scope of his approach, and thus make it easier to speak out on subjects that are all too often taboo. Rufino is a humanist with a big heart, who listens to everyone and works for everyone.