La Sainte-Baume The Grotto of Saint Mary Magdalene

The tradition of Provence holds that Mary Magdalene spent the last thirty years of her life in prayer in a cave of the Sainte-Baume range, at about 2,950 feet, and that angels lifted her seven times a day to hear the music of heaven.

The grotto is reached by a path of about forty-five minutes through an old forest of beech and oak, and a small community of Dominicans lives beside it. Kings, popes and many pilgrims made the climb; Saint Louis came in 1254, on his way back from the crusade.

Further reading: Vézelay: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Basilica of Mary Magdalene; Avignon: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the City of the Popes; Mary Magdalene in Provence: The Tradition and the Shrines.

• The grottoA church in the rock, where the Dominicans celebrate Mass.
• The Saint-PilonA chapel on the ridge above, where tradition places her raptures.
• The forestOld woods of beech, lime and yew, protected for centuries.

• July 22Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

• Saint Mary MagdaleneDisciple of Christ and first witness of the Resurrection

• Via MagdalenaeThe Magdalene Way, seven daysDay IV, The Sainte-Baume

About thirty minutes by road from Saint-Maximin, then about forty-five minutes on foot up to the grotto.

• Saint-MaximinThe Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene, about 10 miles as the crow flies
• CotignacNotre-Dame-de-Grâces and Saint Joseph of Bessillon, about 24 miles as the crow flies
• Le ThoronetThe Abbey of Le Thoronet, about 29 miles as the crow flies
• SénanqueThe Abbey of Notre-Dame de Sénanque, about 50 miles as the crow flies