Santons of Marseille: History, the Fair and How to Choose

Santons are small hand-painted clay figurines, and in Marseille they are a Christmas institution. If you visit at the end of the year, you will see them at the fair on the Vieux-Port. Here is what they are, a little of their history, and how to pick one that is worth taking home.

What is a santon?

The word comes from the Provençal santibelli, meaning "little saints". These are clay figurines, painted by hand, that populate the Provençal nativity scene. They are the traditional souvenir of a Marseille Christmas.

It is a modest object with a long story, and that is part of the appeal. The figure may be only a few centimeters tall, yet it carries a whole tradition, and families often add a few each year until the crèche fills a table.

The Provençal nativity scene

What makes the Provençal crèche different is the cast. Alongside the usual nativity figures, it includes villagers shown at their trades: commonly the miller, the baker, the chimney sweep and the washerwoman, among others. It is as much a portrait of a village as a religious scene, and that is why collectors often build up a crèche year after year.

A good way to look at a crèche is as a village in miniature. Look for the baker with bread, the miller with a sack, the chimney sweep with his brush and the washerwoman at her work. Each of these tells you something about daily life in Provence in a past era.

The santons fair

The Marseille santons fair is generally dated to 1803, and it goes back to the early nineteenth century. It is held every holiday season on the Vieux-Port, on the Quai du Port, alongside the Christmas market. The 2026 edition, the 224th, is announced from November 14, 2026 to January 3, 2027, with 21 santon makers and free entry.

Check the opening hours on the fair's official website or on marseille-tourisme.com before you go. For the market itself and the bigger Christmas picture, see our article on Marseille in winter and at Christmas. And if santons win you over, Aubagne and Arles also hold big santon makers' events in December: we cover them in Christmas in Provence from Marseille.

The fair is a good place to compare different makers side by side. Walk the whole fair once before you buy anything, then go back to the stall you liked best. Talking with the craftspeople is often the best part of the visit.

How to choose a good santon

• Ask who made it. Ask whether the stall is run by a santonnier, the craftsperson who makes them, and whether they have an atelier (workshop).
• Compare handmade and molded. A hand-painted figure usually shows small differences in the face and clothing. A mass-produced one looks identical from one to the next.
• Look at the painting. Check the face, the hands and the folds of the clothes.
• Do not choose on price alone. We will not give a figure, because prices vary by size and maker; just compare several stalls before you buy.

One more check: pick up the figure, if the seller allows it, and look at the base and the back, not just the face. Care in the finish on the parts you do not see is a good sign. Do not feel pressured to buy a whole set; one well-chosen figure is a perfectly good souvenir.

Bringing one home

Clay is fragile. Ask the seller to wrap it well, and carry it in your hand luggage rather than in a checked bag, where it can be crushed. A small figure is far easier to travel with than a large one. If you are buying several, pack them separately so they do not knock against each other.

Ask for a small box or sturdy tissue wrapping, and keep the receipt or the maker's card, which is a nice reminder of where it came from. For other local gifts, see our ideas for Christmas gifts from Marseille.