Church of the Saintes Maries de la Mer

Medieval tradition holds that the Three Marys landed here after the Resurrection. The fortified church protected pilgrims and relics against raiders. The Roma pilgrimage, formalized in 1935, now draws thousands annually to honor their patron Sara.

According to medieval tradition, the Three Marys—Mary Magdalene, Mary Salome, and Mary of Clopas—escaped persecution after the Resurrection by sailing from the Holy Land. They landed on this shore, accompanied by others including a servant named Sara. The Marys lived out their lives in Provence, bringing Christianity to France.

The fortified church was built in the ninth century when Viking and Saracen raids threatened the coast. The building served as both worship space and refuge. In the fifteenth century, relics identified as those of Mary Salome and Mary of Clopas were discovered.

Sara's cult developed alongside the Christian tradition but remained separate. In 1935, the Marquis Folco de Baroncelli-Javon—a local figure devoted to preserving Camargue traditions—won the Roma the right to hold their own public procession for Sara. Before this, Sara's veneration had been private; after 1935, it became the major pilgrimage it is today.

The origin of Sara herself is disputed. One tradition says she was the Egyptian servant of the Three Marys. Another says she was a local woman who had visions and went to the shore to meet the arriving boat. Some scholars see connections to the Hindu goddess Kali—her name 'Sara-la-Kali' can be read as 'Sara who is Kali,' and the Roma's Indian origins lend plausibility to this interpretation.