Christmas nativity scene in Montfavet church and the L’Escandihado exhibition

On the church square in Montfavet, an outlying district of Avignon, the L’Escandihado association holds an exhibition on “Christmas traditions in Provence” in a room beside the church entrance. A splendid Provençal Christmas table stands in the centre, laid with the traditional thirteen desserts. Old tools and Provençal costumes are also exhibited.

A large Provençal nativity scene features beautiful santons with exceptionally fine clothing: traditional sewing is a speciality of L’Escandihado's members.

Friendly association members in traditional dress explain Provençal Christmas customs and how the santons' costumes are made.

Another nativity scene occupies one of the twelve chapels of the large Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Repos church, with large santons from Avignon's Carmelite convent. It can be seen during church opening hours. The 14th-century church belonged to a larger monastery founded by Cardinal Bernard de Montfavès during the Avignon papacy.

Christmas nativity scene in Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Repos church, Montfavet

Provençal Christmas traditions exhibition and nativity scene by L’Escandihado

Photographs of the Christmas traditions exhibition and Montfavet church's nativity scene: slideshow

Getting to Montfavet: GPS coordinates N 43°56’08’’ – E 4°52’19’’

Montfavet is a district of Avignon.