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Hyeres-The ex-Votos of Saint Paul
A story of shipwrecks and the trials of life
The collegiate church of Saint Paul de Hyères is a magnificent picture book. Four hundred thirty-two pictures cover its walls and recount Hyères residents' daily life from the 16th century to the present day. These pictures are "ex voto suscepto" (lit. "from the vow made"); in other words, ex-voto pictures that the devout offered to the Virgin Mary or to the saints to thank them for having saved them, or having spared a family member or close relation from sickness, an accident, a war, or a shipwreck.
The Saint Paul de Hyères collection is one of the best that exists in Provence. Many are highly naïve images; some are truly works by artists; all are moving, and, above all else, they constitute an extraordinary running illustration of daily life over the last four centuries.
Few date back to the Ancien Régime, however. The revolution passed through the area, but most of all, time has done its work, destroying these popular objects, inscribed on media that lacked the quality granted to the masterpieces. In the 19th century in particular, when religion made a dramatic comeback, the practise resumed. The peak occurred between 1830 and 1875.
Climb all the way up to the collegiate church, firstly because the view there is beautiful; then because the building itself and its architectural setting deserve the effort; and finally because this chronicle of the "accidentology" of the past is fascinating. Drownings, falls, and cart, carriage, and hunting accidents seem to have been genuine scourges.
Not to mention shipwrecks! Even if the ex-votos representing maritime accidents are relatively few in number (6%), those are worth your visit. The marine pictures are the most beautiful, which partly explains their small number, since thieves have long known their high market value. As their number increased after 1825, one could measure the considerable development of maritime trade during the second half of the 19th century. Before that, society was mainly rural, and sailing had long been checked by the different blockades imposed by the English fleet.
