Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume
Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume is a town in southeastern France, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. It lies at the foot of the Sainte-Baume mountains, about 40 km east of Aix-en-Provence. The word Baume means cave in the Provençal language.
The town is famous for the Basilica of Mary Magdalene. Construction began in 1295, and the church was consecrated in 1316. It was built because people believed Mary Magdalene’s relics were kept there. A legend says she and her companions sailed from the Holy Land to France and settled near Saint-Maximin. The basilica’s west front and towers were never finished. Inside, a crypt holds ancient sarcophagi and other relics.
The basilica was founded with the blessing of Pope Boniface VIII and was associated with the Dominican order. The area also has Roman-era remains, including the nearby Roman Villa Lata under the town square, and the Abbey of Saint Victor in Marseille had dependencies nearby.
Historically, Saint-Maximin grew in the 12th century under Berenguer Ramon I, Count of Provence. In 1246 Provence passed to Charles d’Anjou, which led to local conflicts over the town. The Black Death in 1348 severely affected the area and slowed building work on the basilica.
Today, Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume has about 17,900 residents (2023) and covers around 164 square kilometers. The town’s elevation ranges from 261 to 778 meters. The climate is hot in summer and mild in winter. The average yearly temperature is about 13.7 °C, with roughly 765 mm of rainfall each year. July is the warmest month, and January is the coolest. The record high was 42.5 °C in 2019, and the record low was -15.2 °C in 2012.
A notable person from the town is the baritone Louis Gassier (born 1820). Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume remains a place of pilgrimage and history, drawing visitors to its famous basilica and legends.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:43 (CET).