Les Saintes Maries de la Mer

Description

This is the story of the two Marys, the mothers of the disciples John and Jacob, whose boat was shipwrecked off the coast of southern France. They had fled by sea after being banished from Palestine. Their boat began to sink near this small town in the Camargue, where the river Rhone flows into the Mediterranean. According to the legend, Sara, a gypsy, watched from the beach as the boat foundered. She spread her cloak and both Marys safely reached shore. They told Sara of Christ's resurrection, and Sara asked the women to baptize her. Every year tens of thousands of gypsies from all over the world come here to worship their patron saint. In the morning they visit the crypt where the statue of Sara is displayed. Later in the day the statue is carried out to sea accompanied by a grand procession of gypsies.

Runtime

29 min

Series

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

2004, p1995

Database

Alexander Street

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