In Roquemaure, Valentine's Day isn't celebrated like anywhere else. Here, February 14th resonates with a much older history, deeply rooted in the village's memory. For over 150 years, the relics of Saint Valentine occupy a central place in the spiritual and heritage life of the community.
A look back at the unique story of their arrival in Roquemaure, between wine crisis, popular fervor and shared hope.
Once upon a time, there was Roquemaure, a 19th-century wine-growing village, living off the fruits of its vines and the labor of its inhabitants. But starting in 1866, an invisible plague struck the region. After the silkworm disease, a new ordeal hit the area: a terrible disease of the vines, which was then called "The tasks of Roquemaure". or even phylloxera. It takes hold and gradually destroys the vineyards, bringing the entire economic and social life of the village to its knees.
Faced with this scourge, the winegrowers are trying everything possible to save their land. Solutions are becoming scarce, anxiety is growing, and the future seems uncertain. It is in this context of distress that a man, Maximilien PichaudA wealthy landowner and farmer, well-off and deeply religious, decides to seek help elsewhere. He then embarks on a journey to Rome. There, he acquires the relics of Saint Valentine, patron saint. His project is generous: to offer these relics to the parish of Roquemaure, in order to bring comfort and hope to a population that has suffered greatly.
But fate decided otherwise. Maximilien Pichaud died a few days before the relics arrived in the village. He would never see the culmination of his efforts, but his name remains closely linked to local history. His family, owners of the Clary estate, is deeply rooted in the life of the community: Xavier Richard and his sister Marie, Maximilien's wife, are the godparents of the bell. “Maximilien Marie”installed in the bell tower of the collegiate church in 1863.
We are in October 1868In Roquemaure, the dean of the parish is organizing a Parish missionThis practice was very widespread in the 19th century. Its aim was to rekindle faith and support communities through pivotal moments in their history. Each day, the church fills up so much that it struggles to contain the crowds who come to listen to the missionaries. But the most anticipated moment is undoubtedly that of the last day: the reception of the relics of Saint Valentine.
Le October 25th 1868the Bishop of Nîmes, Bishop Plantier, celebrates their arrival in an atmosphere of great popular jubilation. On the Pousterle SquareA speech in honor of Saint Valentine is delivered before a huge crowd. Then, in a collective surge of emotion, the inhabitants accompany the relics in procession to the Collegiate Church of Roquemaure, where they are deposited in a golden hunt, to the right of the altar, where they still remain today.
Since then, Valentine's Day is inextricably linked to RoquemaureAnd this story continues to live on thanks to the Valentine's Day festivities (also called the Lovers' Festival) organized every two years by the Saint Valentine Association, which revive the arrival of the relics and the fervor of 1868!
In Roquemaure, love is therefore not just a matter of the heart: it is a story of village, of solidarity and of memory, passed down from generation to generation.
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