Monumental Provençal nativity scene in Notre-Dame-de-la-Major church, Arles

Philippe Féret, the creator of the Provençal nativity scene in Notre-Dame-la-Major church in Arles, is a dedicated enthusiast. Since 1992, he and a few friends have installed a monumental nativity scene in the side aisle of this beautiful church each year. It contains at least 750 santons and richly detailed scenes of Provençal life. Five people spent 600 hours setting it up.

This superb work is certainly one of the most beautiful in Provence, and does credit to Arles, a Provençal city proud of its traditions.

On the last Sunday in January, a choir from Rognonas sings traditional Christmas carols.

Notre-Dame-la-Major church stands in Arles' historic centre, a short distance east of the Roman amphitheatre. It was traditionally the church of the Crau shepherds and Camargue gardians, the region's mounted cattle herders. It is the seat of the Confrérie des Gardians de Saint-Georges, whose patron saint's statue occupies a niche. A ceremony and festival in his honour take place on 1 May.

Photographs of the nativity scene in Notre-Dame-de-la-Major church, Arles (Christmas 2018): slideshow

Getting to Arles

GPS coordinates: N 43°40'36'' – E 4°37'39''

Continue exploring with my travel articles on the Guest Houses in Provence Portal: Christmas nativity scene at Notre-Dame-de-la-Major.