Fete de la Madeleine

The Carreto Ramado, a unique tradition in France

The Carreto Ramado — the "decorated float" in Provençal — is the symbol of the Fete de la Madeleine in Chateaurenard. Created in the 17th century to celebrate the development of irrigation which gave birth to market gardening and fruit growing, the Carreto Ramado is the only decorated float in Provence to be secular and republican. Decorated with 3,000 red gladioli and the finest fruits of the region, it carries the bust of Marianne and parades through the village streets, pulled by 60 draft horses harnessed in the sarrasine style, to the sound of La Marseillaise and L'Internationale.

Six days of popular celebration

The Fete de la Madeleine is much more than the corso of the Carreto Ramado: for six days in early August, Chateaurenard comes alive with popular festivities blending bullfighting traditions, music, gastronomy, and conviviality. The bandidos and abrivados — bull drives by horsemen — roam the village streets, Camargue bullfights take place in the arenas, and a bullfight concludes the bullfighting part of the festival.

Bulls, bodegas, and fireworks

The evenings are enlivened by the bodegas on Cours Carnot, with concerts, DJs, and a festive atmosphere. Petanque competitions, the funfair on Allées Marcel Jullian, and family entertainment punctuate the days. Fireworks light up the Chateaurenard sky, while peñas and brass bands parade through the streets in a Provençal fair atmosphere.

A centuries-old heritage

The Fete de la Madeleine in Chateaurenard is one of the oldest votive festivals in Provence, celebrated uninterruptedly since the 17th century. The Carreto Ramado, inscribed in the commune's cultural heritage, is the expression of a strong local identity, where agriculture, the republic, and Provençal conviviality meet in a single celebration. Each year, the passage of the float through the streets of Chateaurenard on Sunday morning is a moment of emotion and pride for the inhabitants.