Hôtellerie de la Sainte Baume, Plan d'Aups

Check in: 16:30 (4:30pm) - 19:00 (7:00pm) (no arrivals allowed outside this window)

Check out: 09:00 (9:00am) - 10:00 (10:00am)

History

Sainte-Baume is first and foremost a geological curiosity: its rocky bar, which stretches over twelve kilometers, arose from the seabed in the secondary era and its forest, protected by the cliff, is a "relic" of that. which covered Provence at the end of the tertiary. The natural cave carved out by erosion (baumo, in Provençal) has become one of the oldest places of pilgrimage in the Christian world: Saint Mary Magdalene is said to have lived there for thirty years of her life.

In the Gospels, Mary Magdalene is this woman whom Christ freed from seven demons, who then became his disciple, was present at the foot of the cross and to whom Jesus first appeared on Easter morning. According to the Tradition of Provence, she was expelled from Palestine with several disciples during the first persecutions against Christians after the Ascension. Entrusted to a frail skiff without sail or rudder, the exiles miraculously approached the Provençal shores at the place now called Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and became the first evangelizers of Provence. Marie-Madeleine preached in Marseilles in the company of Lazarus then she established herself in this steep mountain, in the Grotto which has since been named after her. Like the beloved of the Song of Songs, "dove hidden in the hollow of the rock, in steep retreats", she was able to devote herself to prayer and contemplation in solitude.

In 1295, when the excavations carried out by Charles II of Anjou in Saint-Maximin brought to light his tomb, the pilgrimage to the Grotto took off again. The Dominicans then took over from a long line of monks established in these places since the 5th century as guardians of the Magdalean tradition. In the centuries of faith, the movement of pilgrims continued to grow until the Revolution. In 1859, moved by the abandonment of the site, Père Lacordaire undertook the restoration of the holy places of Provence and the construction of the Hostellerie de la Sainte-Baume. Today, the community of Dominican friars continues this mission of welcoming believers and unbelievers, all pilgrims in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene.

Food & beverage

The Hostellerie de la Sainte Baume offers you the opportunity to eat meals prepared on the site with fresh products by the cooks in a family atmosphere, during your stay at Sainte-Baume. Unique service and changing menu.

Meals are at the following fixed times: 7.45 a.m. to 9 a.m. for breakfast, 12.45 p.m. for lunch (1 p.m. Sunday), 7.15 p.m. for dinner. The menus are fixed and can be viewed on their website. No special diet except for medical reasons (subject to being warned in advance).

Grounds & Gardens

At the foot of the Sainte Baume massif, the Hostellerie is the starting point for many hiking trails. It has a vast meadow, from where one can admire the mountain and the cave of Sainte Marie-Madeleine.

Other facilities

• Pilgrim's store (books, religious objects, postcards, CDs, DVDs ...)
• Chapel
• Grotte de Sainte Marie-Madeleine 
• Room rental for 10 to 250 people