Contrary to appearances, much that confronts the tourist when visiting the Camargue is modern. Many of the festivals, costumes, symbols of Camargue life have been invented within the last century or so. To a great extent so has the local language as well.
​
All this happened primarily under the influence of a literary movement called the Félibrige, and the Marquis Folco de Baroncelli-Javon who almost single handedly set out to create a specific Camargue culture and identity.
​
The Félibrige was an association established in Provence in 1854, by seven your Provencale poets of whom Fredric Mistral is probablyn the best known. The society aimed to safeguard, illustrate, and promote the specific language and culture of the Pays d'Oc through, in particular, literature and the theatre. Mistral was a local writer who won a share of the Nobel prize for literature in 1904 and who put his winnings towards the establishment of a museum of local ethnography in Arles, the Museon Arlaten. The museum still exists today.
​
In this movement Joseph d'Arbaud (1874-1950) and Marquis Folco de Baroncelli-Javon (1870-1943) created the “ Nacioun Gardiano” association in 1904. Its aim was “to maintain and glorify the costume, customs and traditions of the Pays d'Arles, Camargue and bullfighting countries and to continue the diffusion of the langue d'oc.”
​
Many, if not all, the significant symbols of what we now regard as “traditional Camargue” iconography come from Baroncelli as do many of the small, festivals and events that are held throughout the Camargue on a regular basis during the year.
​
A Local Language
​
There are six of languages that overlap with each other in the south of France and are collectively known as Occitan which is, in fact, the official language of Catalan Spain. Provençal, different from the near neighbouring Langue d’Oc (lenga d'òc) is regarded as a variant of Occitan but as separate language. Provençal itself is sub-divided into a number of different dialects, the main ones being Rhodanec (around Arles), Maritim or Centrau or Mediterranèu (Aix,Toulon and Cannes), Niçard (Nice), and Gavot (Western Alps). Provençal should also not be confused with Franco-Provençale (Auvergne, Bourgogne and parts of Italy and Switzerland).
Provençal is an ancient medieval language but was given prominence by Fredrick Mistral proposed in the 19th century a standard based upon modern Provençal. The Félibrigians' preoccupation with purity and the past meant that the then current patois of the streets could not provide a suitable language for their poetry. They felt that had to be found elsewhere; in the countryside not in the town.
​
The Félibrigians are most often accused of having an obsession with the past; of wishing to preserve from the safety of their ivory tower of intellectualism, the picturesque backwardness of the region, and of seeking in folkloric traditions a force to unify Provence. It is possible to claim (and many have) that this process is still going on.
​
Folco de Baroncelli came from a family that ostentatiously spoke Provençale in spite of it being regarded as the language of the common people.
​
This debate amongst intellectuals continues to this day while the number of people actually speaking the language continuously declines despite efforts to re-introduce it into schools. It is, however, still regarded as a major symbol of Provençale identity.
​
The Camargue Cross
​
In 1924, Rene Hermann-Paul, and illustrator, painter, and sculptor, created the Camargue cross. Inspired by a Latin cross, it embodies the three fundamental virtues of Christianity: faith (cross), hope (the anchor) and charity (heart). The three arms of the cross end in tridents which symbolize the guardians who have that fixed on the end of their sticks to help moving cattle. The base of the cross is an anchor, said to supposed the sea.
​
A National Dress
​
The styles of women’s clothes have changed and developed from well before the twentieth century, but the process of dressing up, a laying down regulations for costume and hair style as well as the association with the ritual of growing up were all established at this time. These costumes remain a potent symbol of Provençale nationalism as well as decoration.
It was extended to a “uniform” for the gardian. His outfit consists of " mole skin" trousers, generally beige, grey or brown in colour, and decorated on the side with a thin black braid. It is worn with a brightly coloured shirt, printed with small patterns, the collar of which is closed with a tie or cord. During performances and ceremonies, the guardian also wears a black velvet jacket, lined with crimson silk, and a wide-brimmed felt hat, called “ Valergues”.
The Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer Pilgrimage
​
A celebration that has been going on for a lot longer that Baroncelli’s idea of what the Camargue should look like is the festivity concerning the three Saints Marie. According to various legends Lazarus, Mary Magdalene, Mary Salome, Mother of James, Mary of Clopas, the three Saints who were present at the burial of Christ, were sent out to sea in a boat and fetched up at what is now Stes Maries de la Mer. Mary of Clopas had with her a servant called Sarah, a native of Egypt and hence assumed to have a dark skin. Subsequent lore connected her with a similar Indian figure to the Hindu Kali who is a popular goddess in northern India from where the Romani people originate. Her adoption as the patron saint of Gypsy people makes the town a place of pilgrimage for them.
Since 1935 with Baroncelli’s enthusiastic support, on May 24 each year, gypsies have also celebrated their patroness, St. Sara. From then on, the pilgrimage gave rise to significant movements of gypsy communities into the areas. The pilgrimage has a major tourist impact.
Other Traditional festivals
​
Every year, in all the villages and hamlets, votive and patronal festivals take place as well as festivals dedicated to the maintenance of these traditions generally are organized in Arles or Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer .
​
The first costume festival took place in 1903, and the first “ fèsto vierginenco ” in 1904, both established by Frédéric Mistral. The herdsmen's festival is one of the highlights of traditional Arlesian life.
​
One major event each year takes place on 1st May to celebrate the feast day of St. George, the Patron Saint of the Gardians of the Camargue. It it a day of events when the gardians in full costume and their horses come into the town and attend mass outside the patron church of Notre Dame de la Major next to the arena. The priest brings an equestrian statue of St George out of the church to bless the people and their horses.
​
Each celebration is always an opportunity to get together, but also to show off and affirm the local belonging to the Camargue territory and its culture. Horses, bulls, the Provençal language and costumes are particularly highlighted.