HISTORY
ORIGINS
In order to understand the origin of the French santons, you must first know the history of the creche. In 1223, Francis of Assisi created little figurines that represented the nativity scene, known as the creche, and it soon became a tradition of his town in Italy, before spreading to other parts of the world. When Italian peddlers brought the creche to Provence, the villagers began to create their own little figures, calling them santons, meaning “little saints” (Santons Fouque, 2021). These provencal creches are different because they depict the nativity scene as happening locally in their region and among the provencal people of the time. They also appealed to all social classes of the time, because they were simple little clay figurines that anyone could make if they chose to (Lucietto, 1993). The santons also came around the same time as the French Revolution, so the characters represent humble, ordinary village people like themselves and also animals, each with a gift for baby Jesus. It is important that one understands that during the French Revolution, people were not allowed to practice Christianity, or they faced terrible consequences (Piedra, 2018). Churches were closed, but people were able to keep their religion and values alive in their homes by making these santon nativity scenes. It was not simply a craft, but a way of expressing their identity
