The traditional costume

A Provençal tradition

Located at the gateway to Rhône Provence, Terre d'Argence has long been under the jurisdiction of the archdiocese of Arles, it has been strongly imbued with Provençal traditions and culture. Since the French Revolution, Provence has affirmed its identity through a language, costumes, jewelry and remarkable headdresses. It is undeniably an important element of our cultural heritage, and many writers have been sensitive to the charm and aesthetics of these women wearing the clothes of Provence, including Mireille by Frédéric Mistral.

The pass and the Beaucairois ribbons

Beaucaire was naturally influenced by these traditions and developed a particularity in this area: throughout the 19th century, the Beaucaire women thus brought a personal touch by introducing into the headdress the 'pass de dentelle', also called 'passe beaucairoise'.
While the head ribbon of the Arlesian costume wraps itself around a residual cap revealing the hair styled in large headbands, the Beaucairoises ribbon is partially covered by a lace pass integrated into the cap under the headdress. In Beaucaire, thanks in particular to the goods brought during the big fair, the ladies chose to fill their headdresses with velvet and silk ribbons with geometric patterns, again in order to stand out and be recognized.

Celebrating villages!

If you are lucky enough to attend one of the traditional festivals in our villages, you will be able to see women - all generations combined - wearing costumes and parading through the streets of the village or in the arenas! It is a heritage that is passed on from generation to generation and the young girls of today are proud to wear the costume of their ancestors, and to thus continue such a beautiful tradition!
The costume is regularly worn during traditional festivals such as the Madeleine celebrations in Beaucaire, the Europe festival in Bellegarde, the horse fair in Fourques, the Saint-Vincent festival in Jonquières-Saint Vincent and the basketry festival in Vallabrègues.

A little anecdote: they need more than an hour to do their hair, and just as much time to put on the Arlesian costume, made up of numerous layers of petticoats and laces!