Bravades celebrations, St Tropez © St Tropez Tourism

From 16-18 May, the glitzy city of Saint Tropez celebrates its military history and its patron saint Tropes (after whom the city is named). The origins of the event are thought to date back to 1554 when the Saint Tropez Chapel was completed in honour of Tropes whose body is said to have arrived here in AD68. In a tradition that still survives today, the people of Saint Tropez honour this date with the three-day celebration during which participants don old French military uniforms and traditional clothing. Festivities begin at dawn on 16 May with a traditional gun salute and are followed by ritualistic re-enactments of historical ceremonies and a procession that ends at the Saint Tropez Chapel. Wearing traditional Provencal clothing, pilgrims attend a service in the chapel the following morning on 17 May. In the afternoon, the traditional Bravades procession of the previous day is repeated again. On 18 May, the final day of the Bravades, thousands of locals and visitors join in the procession that ends with an outdoor feast and dancing before returning to the chapel to pay final respects to the patron saint.

Times
Various.