Maxime Codou's great Provençal nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
Christmas 2026: practical information
The nativity scene by Maxime Codou and Les Amis de la Crèche is announced from 2 December 2026 to 24 January 2027 in Saint-Jean chapel, Rampe des Sarrazins, La Garde-Freinet.
Outside school holidays: Wednesday to Friday, 14:00–17:00; Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:00. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
During school holidays: daily, 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:00. The nativity scene is closed on 25 December and 1 January.
Free admission for individual visitors. Paid visits for groups, associations and businesses by prior booking. Information: 06 82 19 50 46.
Source: Gulf of Saint-Tropez tourist office.
Information checked on 30 October 2026. The photographs and report below show previous editions.
In the little Saint-Jean chapel in La Garde-Freinet, a group of enthusiasts led by Maxime Codou has created a magical Christmas nativity scene. It attracts around 30,000 visitors a year to this village in the heart of the Massif des Maures.
In the first ground-floor room at the chapel entrance, a fantastical island floats in the air, carrying the Three Kings towards the Nativity. In the large upstairs room, Maxime Codou and his team have let their imagination and enthusiasm run free. More than 4,000 people and animals gather beneath Saint-Jean chapel's old stone vaults. In this edition, Grimaud's old castle dominates the centre, shown as it looked in its heyday before the Revolution left it in ruins. In the opposite corner, the Croix des Maures, which watches over La Garde-Freinet, also protects the display's “little saints”. Thousands of sheep follow winding paths through Provençal landscapes recreated from natural materials. Scenes of rural life are reproduced with extraordinary care and attention to detail.
Maxime Codou's Christmas nativity scene took second place in the “Coup de cœur de Noël” competition organised by Jean-Pierre Pernaut on TF1.
At the end of the exhibition, after 2 February, the display described in this report was dismantled and packed away, to be completely renewed the following year.
La Garde-Freinet's Provençal nativity scene is a wonderful work of living folk art, in a village deeply attached to its traditions. It is created by Les Amis de la Crèche de Maxime Codou. At the time of this report, the association received no grants or public funding, relying entirely on volunteers' dedication and visitors' generosity. Maxime Codou, then a 32-year-old HEC graduate, had left his professional career to pursue his passion full time as a nativity scene designer and santon maker.
Photographs of La Garde-Freinet's Christmas nativity scene (2019): slideshow
The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
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The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
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The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
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The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
The great Christmas nativity scene in La Garde-Freinet
Getting to La Garde-Freinet
The La Garde-Freinet nativity scene is displayed in Saint-Jean chapel in the village centre.