An old castle. A wild forest. Colorful tents, blooming gardens, wooden sculptures peeking through the trees. Welcome to Mallouestan, a micro-kingdom, an island of freedom nestled in the folds of the system.

But Mallouestan is not an isolated utopia. It’s a bridge—a prototype of a regenerative society. This project is located in the south of France, near Saint-Félicien. Here, between green hills and endless skies, a group of artists, activists, and visionaries took over an abandoned manor.

A collective experiment blending self-management, art, agroecology, and post-capitalist visions. A “kingdom” with no kings or queens, but with a poetic constitution, an anthem, a flag, and its own currency. All created in a spirit of play… and revolution.

What is a micronation?

A micro-kingdom or micronation is a community that, symbolically or practically, declares its independence from an existing nation-state. It’s a form of creative critique of dominant systems—a gesture born from a blend of art, activism, and a desire for autonomy.

A micronation emerges from the need to rewrite the rules, to push beyond imposed limits, to create a space where values are shared and lived every day. Often born in forgotten or abandoned places, it thrives through collective imagination.

Mallouestan is all of this: a regenerative micronation using the symbolic tools of a state—a flag, a currency, a constitution—not to dominate, but to liberate: spaces, ideas, relationships. To show that alternative forms of society are not only possible, but already in motion, and that any community can choose to inhabit the world with more awareness, justice, and poetry.

A frame for freedom

Mallouestan defines itself as a cadre de liberté—a frame for freedom. A space where people are free to express themselves, experiment, fail, and start again.

Residents also call it a “playground for conscious adults”. Daily life includes collaborative eco-building, shared garden care, collective cooking, art workshops, and night rituals around the fire.

Its foundation is clear: permaculture practices, creative recycling, and a strong will to step away from the logic of profit.

A sanctuary for all beings

Mallouestan is also an animal sanctuary, home to goats rescued from farms, hens saved from slaughter, stray cats, and adopted dogs.

This is both a political and ethical choice. A declaration of love for all living beings—breaking the artificial divide between “human” and “animal.”

Here, animals are considered equal inhabitants of the community. They share the land, the rhythm of the days, and the care of the people. They roam freely through the forest, rest beneath the oaks, and participate in daily life.

Mallouestan nurtures a new interspecies pact, rooted in deep ecology. Because for those who live here, antispeciesist freedom is not optional—it’s the only freedom that makes sense.

The Charter of the Kingdom

Mallouestan has its own founding Charter, written collectively. It doesn’t impose rules, but protects shared values: welcome, co-creation, reverence for life, mutual listening, and inner freedom.

Decisions are made in horizontal assemblies. Everything runs on voluntary participation. No leaders. No hierarchy. Just consensus, open dialogue, and a shared vision—a new way of inhabiting the planet, together.

Events and shared living

Mallouestan comes alive through festivals, artist residencies, and self-organized summer camps. Throughout the year, it hosts events like Camp des Possibles, collaborative making labs, social theatre cycles, and somatic awareness practices.

Every gathering is an excuse to build community. To learn from one another, exchange knowledge, weave relationships, dance, build, and reimagine the world—together.

Those who live here know the problems of the world don’t vanish at the edge of the forest. But within these symbolic borders—woven from dreams, projects, and shared intentions—new possibilities can be explored without fear of failure.

In conclusion

Mallouestan is a cooperative micro-kingdom in the south of France. A castle turned commons, where art meets permaculture, and self-sufficiency and antispeciesism are practiced daily.

An invitation to slow down. To imagine freely. To create community beyond convention. Because another world is not only possible—it has already begun!