Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume - Sainte-Marie-Madeleine

The "Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine" in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume (pop. ~ 14.000) is not only one of the largest but as most important Gothic churches in of the Provence.

A small merovingien church existed here, until a sarcophagus was discovered inside the church´s crypt in 1279. The inscription made clear, that this was the tomb of Mary Magdalene.

Her relics had been venerated in Vezeley since the early 11th century. Numerous pilgrims had headed to her relics since then and had made Vezelay Abbey to a major starting point for the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. According to legend a monk named Baudillon or Badilo brought the relics of Maria Magdalene from Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume to Vezelay through fear of the Saracens. In 1058 Pope Stephen IX had confirmed the authenticity of the relics.

Until that time it was undisputed that Maria Magdalena was one of the The "Three Marys", who had fled the Holy Land by a miraculous boat and landed at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. After having worked as a sucessful missionar, she retired to a cave in the near mountains. She was buried in a crypt in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, from where the relics had been transferred to Vezelay.

The discovery of the tomb in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume in 1279, a very clever "marketing" plus political patronage finally ended the pilgrim business in Vezelay.

Charles II of Anjou, King of Naples founded the Basilique Ste. Marie-Madeleine in 1295. The basilica had the blessing of Pope Boniface VIII, who had taken Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume´s side, and placed the basilica under the new order of Dominicans.

The basilica was built over the crypt (where the tomb was found) but the works slowed down and continued until 1532, when it was decided to leave the basilica without a finished west front or belltowers.

Light is dim in the crypt, where the sarcophagus was discovered in 1279. The crypt is indeed Gallo-Roman, dated to the 4th century. A skull is on display behind a metal screen.