Copyright - M.Bandli - Historic Meteorites
La CAILLE
Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
Found in the mid-17th century - Iron, Ungrouped
Collection No. B272.1 – A 5.922 gram part-slice.
Provenance: Museum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Paris; by transfer to The Labenne Collection.
Specimen Notes: Etched surface shown. Note the incredibly fine Thomson figures. The 119 gram parent to the this sample is shown below (No. 51, Paris Museum).
Above: The 119 gram parent sample to our piece. Copyright Luc Labenne, www.meteorites.tv
Historical Notes: The La Caille meteorite was discovered by a shepherd at the top of the Audibergue Mountain near the village of La Caille during the mid-17th century. The enormous iron mass, which weighed over 625 kilograms, was drawn by four oxen from “a considerable altitude” down to the plain and moved to a garden at the village of Caille, next to the home of a blacksmith.
For over a century-and-a-half, the mass remained in that spot where, because of its mysterious origin, it was venerated by many of the villagers and given the name “The Stone of Iron”. A small portion of the mass was removed by the blacksmith and forged into horseshoes, nails, and other items. The mass was also used as a place for farmers to fix their tools.
Many years later, around 1770, a villager built the meteorite into the wall of his home, but the wall was eventually torn down by authorities, and the mass moved to the main street of Caille, where it served as a community bench. It remained there along the street for over 50 years when, in 1826, it was placed at the door of the village church where it continued to serve as a bench for the parish.
In 1828, the mass was finally recognized as a meteorite after a sample was sent and tested at the Academy of Science, Paris. Word quickly spread to France’s Interior Minister, who destined a sum of 610 Francs for the purchase of the meteorite and for its transport to the Museum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN). Having learned of this news, the mayor and town council of Caille proposed to offer the meteorite to King Charles X for deposit to MNHN. In exchange, the village of Caille purportedly received a “well-crafted” town clock. It should be noted that the story of the clock is a mystery in itself. We shall save that one for another day…
Today, some three-and-a-half centuries after its discovery atop that mountain, the La Caille meteorite sits proudly on exhibition as one of the crown jewels at MNHN. It remains the largest French meteorite ever found and is also classified as a rare, ungrouped iron. A little over one kilogram is all that was removed and distributed to museums and institutions. Coupled with its rich history here on earth, La Caille is a true all-star of meteoric proportion.
References:
Brard, C.P. (1829) Note sur une masse de fer natif en France. Académie des Sciences, Séance du lundi 13 Octobre 1828.
Garcin, E. (1835), Historique et Topographique de la Province Ancienne et Moderne. Drauguignan, 1, p 215.
Above: An old engraving depicting the main mass of La Caille. All 625 kilos of it.
Above: The village of Caille as it appears today, nestled in a valley in between mountains. Photo Credit: Public Domain.