Page 230 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

228  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

Festivals in Provence

Festivals in Provence are very much part of the way of life. They service of the emperor, Nero.
are not staged purely for the benefit of visitors and tourism, but In AD 68, Torpès converted to
more to continue the seasonal celebrations that are deeply Christianity and was martyred
rooted in tradition. Many fêtes are based on pagan rites while by decapitation. His body was
placed in a boat along with
others are celebrations of historic occasions – only a few have a hungry dog and a cockerel.
been hijacked by fun-loving holiday-makers on the coast. Here Miraculously, the saint’s body
is a selection of the best festivals from each of the départements. was untouched. The vessel was
washed up onto the shores of
southern France, on the spot
where St-Tropez stands today.
The May bravade honours his
arrival. Celebrations begin with
the blessing of a lance by the
town’s priest in the Eglise de
St-Tropez. From here, the saint’s
gilded wooden bust is taken
and carried around the flag-
decked town in a terrific
flurry of musket volleys. The
procession winds down to the
beach, and the sea is blessed
for safely conveying the saint.
The second bravade takes
One of the spectacular floats in the procession at the Nice Carnival place on 15 June and is hon-
oured with earth-shattering
By the 19th century, the Nice fusillades and military parades.
The Riviera and the Alpes Carnival had developed into It marks the anniversary of the
Maritimes little more than a chalk and flour day in 1637, when the local
The brilliant explosion of fire- battle. The floats did not appear militia saw off a Spanish fleet,
works at the Carnaval de Nice until 1873, inspired by the local about 22 vessels strong, after
above the Baie des Anges is one artist, Alexis Mossa, who also an attempt to capture four
of the most popular images of resurrected the figure of King ships of the Royal French fleet.
Nice (see pp84–9).(see pp84–9).(see pp84–9 It is the largest Carnival. Since then, great
pre-Lent carnival in France, effort and time has been put
and crescendos on Shrove into making the costumes.
Tuesday with fireworks and the Meanwhile, the whole town
immolation of King Carnival, is en fête, and parties and balls
Sa Majesté Carnaval. are held in hotels and public
Carnival festivities, held in all venues all night long. Visitors
Catholic countries, are based on should book
should book
should book well in advance well in advance
the pagan celebrations of the to secure accommodation.
death of winter and the birth
of spring and life. It is a time of The Var and the Iles
feasting (mardi gras means “fat
Tuesday”) before the fasting d’Hyères
of Lent (carne vale is Latin for A number of festivals in the
“farewell to meat”). region feature the firing of La bravade procession in St-Tropez,
Festivities begin three weeks muskets, reminiscent of ancient honouring the town’s patron saint
before Mardi Gras, when the witch-scaring rites. Spectacular
king is wheeled out into the volleys are set off into the air in
streets. During the two weekends St-Tropez (see pp122–6) for the Bouches-du-Rhône
and Nîmes
between then and biannual bravade,
his departure, the commemorating two Europe’s largest Romany festival,
colourful, flower- significant events. the Pèlerinage des Gitans in
decked floats of the The first one takes Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (see
procession parade place on 16–18 May p142), is a simple yet very
along the 2-km and is a religious moving occasion. At the end
(1-mile) route round procession devoted of May, usually 24th–26th,
Jardin Albert I, amid to the town’s patron, Romanies from all over the
confetti battles, bands Carnival characters in the Saint Torpès, He was continent gather to pay their
and mounted escorts. streets of Nice a Roman soldier in the respects to the patron saint of