CHRISTIANITY IN PROVENCE

Christianity came to Provence in the 1st century AD. Worship of Greek and Roman gods was already established in Marseille when disciples of Jesus Christ met and took refuge in an ancient quarry, now the crypt of the Abbey of Saint Victor, the first Christian church in France.

A Provençal legend tells of the arrival of the three Marys on the Provençal coast; their landing place now the present day seaport of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, and Mary Magdalene is the first saint of Provence. The custom of baking navettes, or biscuit boats, symbolising the open boat which brought them to the shores of Provence is one of Marseille’s strongest traditions.

Christianity inspires ongoing celebrations and pilgrimage traditions. But the division of medieval Christianity into two factions became an ongoing struggle. Archaeological excavations in the Luberon Valley at Merindol reveal the carnage from the wars of religion in the 16^th century. We film today’s festivities and yesterday’s tragedies.

We see beautiful Romanesque and Gothic church architecture and visit the churches of St Maximin, St Gilles and the Popes’ Palace at Avignon where each one has its unique history and folklore. By contrast is the imposing, more solid but austere Provençal church architecture built by the Cistercian Order of monks. 

In the ongoing theme of massacre and revenge we go to 1942 and interview members of the maquis, the fighting arm of the Resistance in WWII who were again seen by some as the new heretics, against the Catholic Vichy regime.

 

 

• Arrival of the three Marys in Provence
• Saint Victor the martyr, the church and its biscuit boats
• Mary Magdalene and the building of the Basilica of St Maximin
• The knights of Les Baux and the discovery of bauxite
• The olive oil industry begun by the Greeks
• The heretical Cathars, St Gilles church and Provençal architecture
• Avignon as the capital of Christendom and Fontaine de Vaucluse
• The Vaudois, wars of religion and excavations in the Luberon Valley
• The Constance Tower, the legend of St Tropez and its Bravade des Espagnols
• Liberation of Provence in 1944 after divisions in the Catholic Church
• Resistance by the maquis the fighting arm of the wartime underground