The last day of the Pilgrimage is a celebration of the life of Folco de Baroncelli. There is probably no one in Camargue who did more for this region, and his life and works are celebrated by the local people AND the Gypsies as he was a avid supporter of minorities, including Native Americans. He helped the Guardians gain recognition as important caretakers of the local bull herds, and was largely responsible for the ‘regeneration’ of local livestock — the bulls and the ponies of Camargue. He was also a champion of wildlife preservation.
The day starts with a ‘running of the bulls’ through the main street, an event that is not at all what you would imagine the ‘running of the bulls’ to be. I envisioned a smaller version of Pamplona with bulls running through the streets but instead, this was a tightly controlled herding of three or four animals through the streets by the Guardians on horseback; the bulls are so tightly guided by their cowboys that you can barely see them between the horses and the Guardians as they run down the street and into the arena where they will be kept for the games later in the afternoon! The event is more about showing off the skill of the Guardians than about running bulls through the streets. The bulls went by so fast, I didn’t even get a photo!
Gypsy and town dignitaries, side-by-side at the celebration.
After the ‘Abrivado’ — which is the running of the bulls through the streets — there is a ceremony that takes place at the tomb of Folco de Baroncelli. He died during World War II when he was in his seventies; it sounds like he was expelled from him home by the Nazis, and perhaps died of exposure to the elements, as he was already of an advanced age. His tomb remains on his homestead, called a ‘manade’, which is just a few kilometers outside of the village of Saintes-Maries. There are Gypsy dignitaries in attendance, side-by-side with dignitaries from the town. The local people are dressed in Arlesienne costume to celebrate the traditions that the Marquis loved.
Local 'Carmaguaise' in traditional costume.
The Baron is described as ‘green’ before the term was invented, as it was he who orchestrated the development of ‘bull runs carmaguaise’ (bull runs that herd the animals in a humane way) and games, including a form of tag which is played in the arena which is less dangerous to the bull’s health than to that of the ‘raseteurs’ — the young, local men who endeavor to snatch rosettes from the bull’s head without being tossed by the bull’s horns! These games, along with others that show off the skill of the Guardians’ horsemanship, are be played in the arena during the afternoon.