Pourquoi santon ?
Les gens réalisaient de tout petits personnages qu’ils pouvaient cacher facilement, car s’ils se faisaient prendre, ils risquaient leurs têtes. Ces petits personnages étaient de petits saints : Joseph, Marie et l’enfant Jésus, d’où l’appellation santons. (Santon = petit saint, santoun en provençal.)
Qui sont les personnages de la crèche ?
Les personnages de la crèche de Noël
- L’enfant Jésus. C’est autour du Christ nouveau-né que s’organise toute la crèche. …
- Joseph et Marie. Les deux parents du Christ entourent le nouveau-né, Marie étant souvent agenouillée. …
- L’âne et le bœuf. …
- Les Rois mages. …
- Les bergers et leurs moutons. …
- Les santons.
Où sont fabriqués les santons ?
Fabriqués en Provence, les santons témoignent d’un savoir-faire régional qui se perpétue de génération en génération.
Who were the santons of Provence?
- The santons of Provence stem from the first living Nativity scene, said to have been created in 1223 by St. Francis, in Greccio, near Assisi. When these evolved into Nativity crèches (manger scenes), they were made of painted and gilded wood and set up inside churches.
What is a Santon and how is it made?
- The making of a santon is a labor of love. Figurines have been part of the human experience since time immemorial, often as effigies of the gods. The santons of Provence stem from the first living Nativity scene, said to have been created in 1223 by St. Francis, in Greccio, near Assisi.
When did santons become so popular?
- But the people loved these little figures, who seem to have made their first official public appearance in 1803, within the framework of the Foire aux Santons, held in Marseille by three vendors. The sale of 180,000 santons, recorded in 1886, illustrates their persistently growing popularity despite the hostility from higher quarters.
Where do Santonniers work?
- Today hundreds of santonniers work all over southern France, even far from Provence in the remote heartland of the Aveyron and the Lozère. It is Thérèse Neveu’s hometown, Aubagne, that takes prominence. The city’s clay industry dates from Roman times, and provided employment to a quarter of the population at its peak.
