Monumental Provençal Christmas nativity scene in Tarascon's Persévérance chapel

The monumental Provençal Christmas nativity scene in Tarascon's Persévérance chapel

In Tarascon, in the heart of the old Provençal town, a crowd of colourful characters fills the Persévérance chapel. More than 500 santons go about village life amid recreated landscapes: a well-stocked market, Provençal festivities and dances, a pétanque match, a chapel, a shepherd moving his flock on the seasonal migration, Camargue gardians with their herd, a carpentry workshop, a bakery, a Roma camp and much more.

Natural materials — stones, moss and Provençal plants — make up the scenery. An entire imaginary world comes to life through these splendid large santons, beautifully dressed for the occasion.

Tarascon residents Francis Barzizza and his wife had presented the display at the Persévérance chapel for around fifteen years at the time of this report. They had collected santons at flea markets and second-hand sales for almost thirty years, restoring them and bringing them back to life at Christmas. It takes eight days to assemble the scenery and arrange the figures. The display opens for Tarascon's renowned santon market, usually held on the last weekend of November. It has built a regional reputation, attracting 7,000 to 8,000 visitors a year.

Photographs of the Christmas nativity scene in Tarascon's Persévérance chapel (2019): slideshow

Getting to the Persévérance chapel, Rue Proudhon, Tarascon

GPS coordinates for Tarascon: N 43°48’22’’ – E 4°39’29’’