Saintes-maries-de-la-mer

The village of Saintes Marie de la Mer, a place of warm reception, tradition and pilgrimage, is built between sky and sea, where the Rhone meets the Mediterranean Sea.

A legendary site, its shore once welcomed at the dawn of the Christianity Marie Jacobi, Marie Salomé and their handmaid Sarah, who were persecuted Christians escaping from Palestine on a boat without a rudder.

The village offer its visitors the image of its mighty and protecting church and promises a visit with plenty of emotions under an ever changing light.

In the shade of its Romanesque steeple, visitors can stroll through the narrow paved streets, following the tracks of the pilgrims. From the top of the church, on the lookout for something, with their nose and their hair streaming in the wind, they are greatly moved by the wild plains, places of discoveries and warm meetings with "manadiers" (cowboys) riding through the pastures of bulls bound to a glorious future.

From the village, visitors feel the attraction of the dunes, the sandy beaches and the large marshlands with reeds and "manades" (herd of black bulls and white horses). As they love nature and wild lands, they can enjoy the pleasure of exploring the landscape by foot or on horseback, admire the dance of birds, yield to the euphoria of sailing and sliding on a windy day.

Les Saintes Maries de la Mer rises as the capital of the Camargue for those who fall in love with this region, bewitched by its wild beauty, its culture and its lively and authentic traditions..

 Built near the mouth of the Petit-Rhône, the Church of the Saintes Maries de la Mer held an important strategic position, because at the time of its construction, between the 9th and the 12th centuries, pirates were attacking  the coast and it was necessary to defend it against  invasions.

The church towers over the village and is  visible from as far as 10 km inland.  It is a true fortress formed of a single, straight, unadorned nave  50 feet high . The roof is encircled by a rampart walk, with battlements and machicolations, and served as a watchtower. The choir and the apse are surmounted  by  a semicircular keep housing the former guards’ room  known as the “upper chapel ".   Lookout  slits pierce the walls at regular intervals.  The church also served  as a refuge for the inhabitants of the city, and there was even a fresh-water well inside. Today, the statue of St. Sara, a major figure of the Gypsy cultural tradition, is in the crypt, to the right of the altar.  You can also see  a pagan altar from the 4th century B.C. in the church.

 This museum is a tribute to the marquis Folco Baroncelli-Javon (1869-1943), a symbolic character of the Camargue. Lou Marquès, the director of the  provincial poetry newspaper called “l’ Aïoli” in Avignon, an ardent defender of the customs of ecological, traditional and cultural heritage  in the Camargue, lived like a “gardian” ( cowboy) and fought for tolerance. Through his efforts, ecclesiastic authorities came to recognize the gypsies’ pilgrimage.

The museum shelters the testimonies of traditions of the Camargue, collections dedicated to the zoology in the Camargue, to the archaeology in Saintes Maries de la Mer and to the regional folklore. All the pieces were collected in 1942 by a group of local curators.

The museum is located in the former town hall, also court of justice and peace, built in 1876 by Veran, an architect from Arles, which replaces the first town hall built in 1655.

From this building, only the marble medallions in the coat of arms of France and Navarre still exist, originating partly from Saintes Marie de la Mer, partly sculpted by the artist Pierre Sibrent from Lyon in the 17th century. 

Gardians, fishermen and shepherds live in huts which are easily recognizable thanks to their geometric shape, a juxtaposition of a parallelepiped, a cylinder, a cone and a prism.

The traditional architecture of this hut is the perfect mix between simplicity and ingeniousness. Its apse has its back turned to the mistral (a high north wind in Provence).

Its walls are whitewashed and a rafter with an extremity sometimes topped by a bull’s horn or a transversal piece of wood, goes through its big roof. This rafter, put on the opposite side of the apse of the hut repels the lightning and on windy days a rope is tied to the rafter and fasten to the ground.

Formerly, the walls of the hut used to be built with materials from the marsh: clay and reeds.

Nowadays, other materials are used...but its architecture is still appreciated for the pleasure found in keeping traditions alive or simply for its adaptation to the climatic conditions.

For 20 years, towards July 14th, Saintes Maries de la Mer has become the meeting point of the art of riding. For five days, the horse is the uncontested king of the fair.

Two shows are the major events of the merrymaking: Bullfights of the Golden "Rejon" and of the Golden Centaur, taking place in the arenas in Méjanes and in Saintes Maries de la Mer. It is the opportunity for aficionados and lovers of horses to discover the best current "rejoneadores" trampling the sand of Camarguese arenas to win highly coveted trophies.

Horses figure at the center of all celebrations. Everyday "abrivado", "roussataïo", "cabestria" and parades of pairs follow one another in the streets of the village.

The Gypsies' square will host some events of the Horse Ball France Championship and presentations of horses. In the arenas, one evening will be dedicated to equestrian arts with a wonderful show mixing music, lights, trained performances and majesty of horses.

In Saintes Maries de la Mer, the streets are made lively with Flamenco bands and the friendly atmosphere of "bodegas".

Camargue is an island of 85000 hectares situated between the embanked arms of the Rhône, formed by the deposit of sand, stones and alluvium by torrents. This strange fusion of land, river and sea shelters huge wild plains with marshes, tufts of thistle and fields of sea lavender surrounding the Vaccarès stream and making this region an exceptional land.

With a perfect balance between environment and human activities, possessing a history of 26 centuries, this land of passion has become a privileged destination.

Far from the beaten track, it is of an untamed beauty, a discreet soul and an incomparable poetic charm that gave birth to the genious of Frédéric Mistral and inspired numerous artists and writers. A melancholy landscape in a torn vastness, where everything is born and everything dies unceasingly in the deafening sound of waves which wash its sunny coast.

A region of unending contrasts, it evoques a serenity unexpected by visitors and shows exotic views thanks to its varied lights and endless horizons which unveil, beyond the pleasure of eyes, an intense life.

The remarkable fine sand caresses your feet, children renew their beach games at all times, whereas the parents enjoy the gentleness of the sun on the beaches.

In every season, the beach of Saintes Marie de la Mer offers numerous occasions of relaxing and, from May onwards, swimming in warm waters. Our naturist friends will also find their happiness.

During outings in spring, autumn or winter, foam caresses bare feet, the dazzling,ever-changing light offers harmony and beauty. On days of pilgrimage, fervour and celebrations invade the fine sands and beach waters to pay tribute to the Saints who arrived from Palestine 20 centuries ago.

The lovers of horseback riding will enjoy the wild plains at a slow pace or at a gallop. Aesthetes admire the sunset. Synonym for happiness, the beach of Saintes offers a program of relaxation and holidays which you can enjoy all by yourself or in company all year around.