A competition was held in Avignon, there was a call for entries from sculptors to create statues to fill empty niches in Avignon, niches created for and perhaps having housed statues long ago. Themes were assigned to the entrants, and I was in the group competing for St Benezet – the 12th century saint accredited with the building of the famous Pont d’Avignon.

Having passed the first phase, I was asked to proceed with the statue. I thought of Benezet as a great example of the Provencal tradition of blending the quotidian with the divine in the “santons”. These are small figures put in the crèche or nativity scenes at Christmas. Benezet was a shepherd who had a vision to go build the Pont d’Avignon (Pont St. Benezet) across the Rhone, having been assured that angels would watch his sheep during his absence. His first miracle was carrying and placing the first huge stone of the foundation of the bridge. Other miracles attributed to him attracted donors, the bridge was finished and Benezet was also buried there.

As a santon would have, I included all the necessary elements of the story, the sheep, the block, the crucifix around his neck and the hearts in his hand signifying his commitment to both his religion and the people he helped. The brim of his sunhat is like the halo he will later be sanctified with.

As often happens with the best of intentions in commission or competition work, the funds dried up and the statue was never installed in its niche but was placed in the Conseil General building in Marseille. It was not made clear to me, when I saw it in situ, if that was intended as a temporary or permanent location (I had the feeling it would be happier in someone’s lovely back yard than in that office building).