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The Pilgrimage



Every year on 24th May, a quiet town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in southern France becomes a place of pilgrimage for Romani and Travellers from all over Europe.

They come there to celebrate Saint Sara, also known as Sara-la-Kâli - Sara the Black - a patron saint of Romani people in Folk Catholicism. Her statue is taken from a shrine in the Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer church and brought to the sea in a ceremonial reenactment of her arrival in France.

Over 10,000 people come to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, proudly celebrating their heritage and paying their respects to Saint Sara.





Irina from Marseille in front of her family’s caravan Johnny's hands Johnny and the dog Caravans on the outskirts of the town Golden rings Mercedes and her dogs Sabrina and her sister Steve with his father Francois Devid with his son A portrait of Devid Angelo smoking a cigarette A group of gardien on white Camargue horses form an honour guard of the procession Believers in the sea A woman wrapped in a Romani flag dances on the beach as her family watches Waves crash into the procession crowd Gardien flanking the procession The crowd watching Saint Sara emerging from the sea The procession watches as Saint Sara is carried into the sea








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