The church
The church, the heart of the village
The church
The Saints, Marie Jacobe and Marie Salome, were buried near a gusher. This lead to a cult around the 5th century and a chapel was built near the river's mouth there in 922.
The Church of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer held an important strategic position, as a matter of fact, at the time of its construction, between the 9th and the 12th century, pirates and Scarens were attacking the coast.
It has a unique nave that is 15 metres high, a choir and an apse overlooked by a keep ion a hemycicle enclosing the old guard room called " high chapel". The church towers over the village is visible from 6 miles away.
The church also served as a refuge for the inhabitants of the city and, inside, even a well is fund. Nowadays, the statue of Saintes Sara, a major figure of the Gypsy cultural tradition, is kept in the crypt, just beside a pagan altar from the 4th century.
The roof of the Church
It is possible to go on the roof of the Church. There, you can see 10 kilometers away inland. The roof is encircled by a round way, with slots and machicolations and was used as a lookout tower.
