Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (lit. "Saint Marys of the Sea", Provençal Occitan Lei Santei Marias de la Mar) is the capital of the Camargue (Provençal Occitan Camarga) in the south of France. It is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department by the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 2,478 (50,000+ during the summer holidays). It has the second-largest area of all communes in Metropolitan France, smaller only than that of neighboring Arles.
Geography
The town is situated in the Rhône delta, about 1 km east of the mouth of the Petit Rhône distributary. The commune comprises alluvial land and marshland, and includes the Étang de Vaccarès, a large lagoon. The main industry is tourism. Agriculture is also significant, and the Camargue's horses and bulls are famous. There is a bus service to Arles, 38 km away.
Brief history
As "Ra" (see below), the town was noted in the 4th century AD by the geographer Rufus Festus Avenus. In the 6th century, the archbishopric of Arles was active and created a monastery or church in the town, from which it first obtained the name St Mary. In the 9th century the town suffered raids from the Vikings and later from the Saracens. "Discovery" of the relics of Mary Jacobé and Mary Salomé first occurred in the 15th century. Their 500th anniversary was celebrated by the future Pope John XXIII.
In 1720 the town was spared by the plague. During the French Revolution, the church was partially destroyed and the stones recycled.
In 1838, the town obtained its current name, after the three Maries (Marys) of its history. Shortly afterward, the pilgrimage (see below) was instituted. A narrow-gauge railway line to Arles, opened in 1892, ran for more than half a century but closed in 1953.
In the early 20th century, the town was a literary and artistic centre, with visits inter alios from such figures as United States writer Ernest Hemingway and Spanish painter Picasso. The vicinity was used as s setting for various films.
In the second half of the 20th century, the population increased. Retired people and holiday accommodation largely supplanted the fishermen and farmers, with a corresponding political shift to the right in elections.
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