Nativity scenes and santons of Provence

Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the shepherds, Pistachié, l'Arlésienne, M. le Curé, Grasset and Grassette, le Ravi, le Tambourinaire, the fishmonger, the sheep and a cheerful farmyard invite you to a southern Christmas. The historical santons from Marseille's Musée des Civilisations d'Europe et de la Méditerranée (MuCEM) have already graced the festive tables of many a Provençal family, and now they're making a foray into Switzerland to take pride of place at Gruyères Castle.

Born in the south of France after the French Revolution, these humble clay figurines were originally the expression of a private devotion that joyfully immersed the traditional Nativity scene in everyday life, with its public figures and comical scenes. Through a selection of santons and nativity scenes, the exhibition reveals a popular craft and highlights the surprising specificities of a centuries-old tradition.

Filipe Dos Santos and Marie Rochel
Exhibition curators

With the collaboration with MuCEM.