La crèche camarguaise de la Confrérie des Gardians

For Christmas, the Confrérie des Gardians’ Crèche camarguaise is reborn in the Église Saint-Julien, in the historic center of Arles. This Christmas crib was created in 1954 by santonnier Etienne Tournon on commission from the Confrérie, and was on display in the Église Notre-Dame-la-Major until 1977, when the church closed for many years for renovation. The crib was stored in cardboard boxes and forgotten until Philippe Féret found it in 1992 at the Église Notre-Dame-la-Major and proposed that the Confrérie restore it, with the help of Solange Cabillic who restored the vestments and santonnier Henri Vezolle who recreated the missing Three Wise Men. It was exhibited in 2012 for the 500th anniversary of the Confrérie des Gardians, and from 2018 onwards at the Église Saint-Julien.