The municipality celebrated the Romérage with dignity
On September 7, from Saint-Louis to Saint-Clair, the Romérage festival brought back the good old days of a local tradition.
At the beginning of the 20th century, before the fishermen's quarter became the municipality of Le Lavandou in 1913, every Pentecost the residents of the heights of the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas and those living from fishing by the sea met for a procession called the 'Romérage'. In Provençal, 'Lou Romérage' means 'Journey to Rome'. Long used in this sense, the term was used, by extension, to evoke processions that were supposed to make a lot of noise. This votive festival was updated in 1996 to honor Saint-Clair, patron saint of dressmakers, who, it is said, also had the power to cure blindness.
DUBBING OF THE PRIOR
After the Sunday Mass in the church of Saint-Louis, it was in a long procession, surrounded by Provençal costumes and fishermen's striped shirts, that the bust of the holy man, flanked by four penitents, reached the chapel of Saint-Clair, following in the footsteps of the mayor in the costume of a Town Consul of the period and Father Pierre Pommeret, the parish priest. The delegation was accompanied by the folk group 'Estello Aubanenco', the bravadeurs of Vidauban, with their blunderbuss salutes, and representatives of the association 'Giens 1900'. Then, Yannis Ghiduci, the prior of the year, was dubbed, succeeding Damien Leschieria. At that moment, he was handed the key to the chapel, which he will keep until next year. Finally, the children of the school of Saint-Clair sang the Provençal anthem 'Coupo Canto', bringing this convivial moment to a close before 600 guests enjoyed a giant aïoli.
Francine MARIE (Text and photos).