The history of Provençal santons

Christmas is coming! The time has arrived to decorate your home with Christmas colours and set up your tree! But some people will also unwrap all the santons to place them in the Christmas nativity!

The nativity is traditionally associated with the Christmas festivities, and if you follow this tradition, you should know that it is a dramatisation of the birth of Jesus, amidst the Holy Family, the shepherds, the animals, the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades. All these characters are represented in the form of santons, but do you know their history?

The santons, originating from Provence, are small figurines made from decorated clay, representing the various characters present at the birth of Jesus. This tradition dates from the Middle Ages; legend has it that the first living nativity was created in 1223, even though these scenes had already been performed for several centuries on the steps of churches. Since that living nativity, the tradition has continued uninterrupted. However, the performers have been replaced by characters made from clay, wood, wax, cardboard, porcelain or glass. It was in the 16th century that nativities similar to those of today first appeared, the first being created in Marseille in 1775.

After the French Revolution, the churches were closed, midnight mass was cancelled and public performances ceased. It was during this period that small characters called the “petits saints” or the “santoun” were created, in Provence, to enable each Provençal family to have their own Christmas nativity, in private. And so in 1803, the first santon fair was inaugurated in Marseille, and it still takes place every year, from the end of November to the beginning of January. You can find small painted santons, santons in traditional costumes representing each trade, and all the accessories needed to decorate your nativity.

When they were first invented, santons were made from bread crumbs, before being crafted from red Provençal clay. The true Provençal santon, made from uncooked clay, was created in Marseille by Jean-Louis Lagnel. Today, there are numerous santon workshops in Marseille, Aubagne, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, in the Vaucluse and also in the Var, the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and the Alpes-Maritimes.

Manufacturing santons is no easy task, and the santonniers carry out meticulous work. After creating their model from raw clay, they make a mould, and then place fresh clay inside it. Once removed from the mould, the santon must dry and be baked in a kiln at 800 degrees. But the most difficult part remains the decoration of the santon, which is done by hand.

Today, santons exist in hundreds of models, of various sizes. Jean-Louis Lagnel, the inventor of the santons, drew direct inspiration from his neighbours who practiced different trades, to create the santon moulds, which is why they are traditionally dressed in the popular fashion of the Louis-Philippe era.

The classic nativity and its usual characters are complemented by the santons of the Provençal nativity. There are the santons placed in the stable, those bringing gifts, representing the various trades of Provence, the animals, and the accessories needed to represent a typical Provençal village such as the stable, the well, the bridge, the river, the mill, the church, and so on. Numerous characters can therefore be found there: the infant Jesus, Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary, the ox, the donkey, the shepherds and the angel. In the Provençal nativity, there also appear the old man and old woman, the ravi, Pistachié, the tambourinaire. There are also characters representing small trades: the fisherman, the fishwife, the water carrier, the woodcutter, the gardener, the farmer and her farm produce, the miller and his sack of flour, the baker, the basketmaker, the tinker, the knife-grinder, the laundress, the hunter, the chimney sweep. There is also the priest, the monk, the mayor, the Arlésienne, the blind man and his son, the gypsies and the Three Kings. And many others besides.

Each character has its own story, and you can learn it by attending one of the numerous “Pastorales” performed on stage throughout Provence at Christmas time.