Fête de la Bravade

If you thought Saint Tropez was just a catwalk for the rich and famous, the town’s traditional Fête de la Bravade will definitely change your mind.

The Bravade festival is seeped in religious and military history, and is a celebration of the bravery of generations of the Saint Tropez community who were forced to constantly defend their land and lives throughout the centuries as they came under attack from pirates, the Saracens and other nearby nations.

As well as being a nod to the courageous Saint Tropezians, the festival – celebrated between 16th and 18th May each year – gives the coastal town a chance to commemorate the saint who gave Saint Tropez it’s name: Saint Torpes. Caïus Silvius Torpetius (Torpes) was beheaded in 68AD because he refused to renounce Christianity, despite being gruesomely tortured. His headless corpse was sent out to sea in an old boat with a dog and a rooster, and his martyrdom is still celebrated to this day. Citizens made a lengthy pilgrimage to the Chapel of Saint Anne before honouring the relics of this patron saint.

Artillery and gunshots will roll out over the normally tranquil town and around 300 tonnes of gunpowder will be used during the three days of festivities that brings the entire town together in a celebration of heritage and ancestry.

Children will love this historical festival and the intricate costumes of participants but be warned, the gunshots and street battles are enough to shock the most cultured traveler.