Saint-Maximin

The Basilica dedicated to co. Marie-madeleine, whose construction was decided by Charles II of Anjou, is the largest Gothic building of Provence. It contains in the crypt Gallo Roman (IVe century), the Mounting containing the relics of Marie-madeleine, the sarcophagi of St Maximin, Co.-Marcelle, co. Suzanne and St Sidoine.

Villa-lathed, small Gallo-Roman village, which after the death of Maximin saint took his name, owes its celebrity since the XIII ^E century with discovered tombs of Maximin saint and holy Madeleine.

According to the tradition, Marie-madeleine, after having spent long years of penitence in the cave of the Holy-Balsam, would have been buried in the crypt of Maximin saint. Balsam is the equivalent of Provence of cave.

The relics, hidden into 716 in fear of Buckwheats which devastated the area, are discovered in 1279 per Charles of Anjou which, on the site of the crypt, builds a basilica and with side a convent. It installs there the Dominican ones as guards of the tomb. (wikipédia)

1295-1316 (apse and chorus): built on the site of an old church mérovingienne, within Pierre d' Augicourt, architect of kings de Naples, counts de Provence, work was undertaken and stopped during nearly one century.

1404: the crypt of the old church was levelled with height of the ground of the new basilica.

1508-1532: work was carried in the state where they are today.

Outside, the squat aspect of the basilica is due to the absence of bell-tower, with its unfinished frontage, the massive buttresses which support, while rising very high, the walls of the nave. There is neither déambulatoire nor transept.

The crypt: it is the funerary vault of a Roman villa (at the end of IV ^E century - beginning O C century). It contains four Gallo-Roman sarcophagi. It is, with the fleshfly of Gayolle, preserved in the church of Brignoles, the oldest Christian stones of Gaule. At the bottom, reliquary out of gilded bronze (XIX ^E century) containing a complete cranium, venerated as being that of holy Marie-madeleine. 

I do not know if it is really Marie-madeleine, but the relics are of a high vibration. I was likely to be able to approach the reliquary, being on the spot the day of the procession. I thus was opposite them, and frankly, it is a beautiful emotion which I felt this day there.