Mature Flâneur
The Grotto of Mary Magdalene in Provence
The cave where the saint supposedly lived in France
One of the wildest myths of Provence is that Mary Magdalene (the disciple of Jesus) journeyed from Jerusalem to Marseille after Jesus’ crucifixion; there she converted the inhabitants to Christianity, and later retreated to a remote mountain grotto where she meditated in solitude for thirty years. Churches bearing her name proliferate throughout Provence—indeed through all of France, and that cave where she once lived remains open for both pilgrims and the less pious to visit.
Although I parted ways with the Christian church in my twenties, I remain fascinated with the mythology of Catholicism, particularly the ways in which pre-Christian goddess cults survived in the guise of Christian saints. And so, while Teresa (my beloved spouse) and I have been wandering through Provence, when I learned about the grotto, I wanted to see it.
Teresa’s motivation is different. She too has parted ways with the religion of her childhood (she’s no fan of the Patriarchy — we have that in common). But whenever we visit an ancient cathedral, she drops a few euros in the donation box, lights a candle to her namesake patron saint and says a prayer for her daughter. That’s a faith I respect.
