Basse Provence, a living tradition
La Saint Éloi
Every summer, from Saint-Rémy to Baudinard, some twenty villages in Basse Provence celebrate Saint Éloi, patron saint of farriers and protector of horses. Cavalcades, beribboned horses, fifes and drums: this collection keeps that thread alive, to embroider and to give.
See the piecesThe origins of the festival
Sant Aloi, patron saint of horses
Éloi de Noyon (588-660), goldsmith turned bishop and advisor to King Dagobert, became over the centuries the protector of farriers, cartwrights, muleteers, and of all the horses, mules and donkeys of Basse Provence.
The patron saint
Officially celebrated on 1 December, Saint Éloi is honoured in summer in the villages of Provence: the fine season lent itself better to outdoor processions and a whole-village celebration.
The cavalcade
Draft horses, mules and old-fashioned carriages parade through the streets, harnessed with embroidered covers and red and gold pompoms, the colours of Provence.
The cry from the heart
«Vivo Sant Aloi!»: Long live Saint Éloi, the cry that accompanies dawn serenades, cavalcades and dances, from village to village, all summer long.
«Vivo Sant Aloi!»
Long live Saint Éloi, the cry of the festival, from village to village.
Cuges-les-Pins, the village and its festival
Revived by the village's young people in 1969, the Saint Éloi of Cuges-les-Pins brings together carriages, horses and residents every first Sunday of August.
In the south of France, around the Garlaban massif, some twenty villages of the Var and Bouches-du-Rhône keep alive the same country festival every summer: la Saint Éloi, or Sant Aloi in Provençal. In Cuges-les-Pins, it lasts a whole week and reaches its peak on the first Sunday of August with the morning riders' parade, a tribute to the dead, high mass at the Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue church, then the cavalcade through the village streets, led by fifes and drums.
The day ends with the blessing of the horses and riders, a banquet, a traditional dance, and the auction of the bridle, which names the captain in charge of organising next year's festival.
The big day
How the festival unfolds
From one village to another, the programme varies over several days, but three key moments are found almost everywhere on the Sunday.
The cavalcade
Draft horses, mules and old-fashioned carriages and carts parade through the village streets, to the sound of fifes and drums.
The blessing
In front of the church, horses and riders receive the annual blessing, in honour of the patron saint of working animals.
The bridle auction
The last act of the day: at auction, the bridle names the captain who will organise next year's Saint Éloi.