Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne

A famous legend tells us that in the VIth century, a girl of noble family named later Thècle, decides to make a pilgrimage in Alexandria of Egypt, with the aim of returning a few relics of holy Jean Baptiste in its native country, Maurienne. By means of prayer, the girl returns in Maurienne with the thumb, the index and the major of the saint...

 
In 1998 is born St Jean's bread, resuming the weapons of the city: three fingers representing the relics of Holy Jean. Since then, every first Thursday of August in the historic mauriennaise capital, is dedicated to the bread fair.

 
Organized by the city, the Tourist Office, the GAEM (Groupings of the Economic Actors of Maurienne) and the diocese, the bread fair was at first, the opportunity to dip back the city in the medieval times.

 The festivities will be held this year on Thursday, August 5th, 2010 :


All day long - Place de la Cathedrale : cooking and tasting of the bread


All day long - Forum St Antoine : secondhand trade and fleas


All day long - City center of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne : musical animations in the city with Les Trompes de Chasse (cors de chasse), les Bruits de Cuisine (marching band) et The New Parade Jazz Band (marching band).


All day long - Former Bishop's palace : wooden games ( free animation)


10:30 am - Cathedrale St Jean Baptiste : blessing of the bread and the worship of St Jean's Baptiste relics.


11:30 am - Cloister : apéritif offered by the City and the sale of the bread of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.


12:00 am - All the city : regional Specialities and special menus Party(Holiday) of the Bread in several restaurants of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.


From 2:00 pm - Place de la Cathedrale and Garden of Europe : craft village of art with baker's oven, exhibitions, automatons, cooperage, woolen fabrics, poultry farming, foundry of aluminum... Presence of Hannibalu (elephant of the celebration of the canton of the 150th birthday of the fastening of Savoy with France).

2:30 pm - Place Fodéré : Craft market: basketwork, wooden and metal craft objects, painted furniture, potteries.


2:30 pm - Place Fodéré and Place de la Cathédrale : game of the wheel of the storekeepers with numerous prizes to be gained.


2:30 pm - Tourist office : free guided tour of classified monuments of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.


4:00 pm - Fairground : departure of the parade with the cooperation of persons in traditional costumes.


5:30 pm - In front of the theater Gérard Philipe : division of the huge Bread made by bakeries Poingt and Oudin.. Presentation of the traditional costumes of Maurienne.

7:30 pm - Place Fodéré : meal and musical animation organized by the GAEM (10€ per person, spot registration)