Since June 23, access to the Sainte Marie-Madeleine Grotto had been closed due to a risk of collapse. During his last visit to the site in August 2020, Renaud Muselier committed to financially support the necessary work to restore the area surrounding the grotto, which is a major concern for the region. With the first phase of work completed, this cultural and heritage jewel of the southern region was inaugurated this Sunday.
On this occasion, the President of the Region and all the personalities present could attend the Easter Mass celebrated by Brother Patrick-Marie Bozo, Rector of the Dominicans of Sainte-Baume.
“Our regional natural parks perfectly symbolize the combination of human activities and respect for the environment in the service of our greatest natural beauties. Since its creation in 2017, the Sainte-Baume Park has been fully committed, through concrete actions, to the ambition we pursue with our regional climate plan ‘a COP in advance.’ While access to the Sainte Marie-Madeleine Grotto was closed for safety reasons, we are proud today to inaugurate the reopening of this cultural and heritage landmark. The southern region will always be committed to safeguarding the heritage of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.” explains Renaud Muselier.
Regional Natural Parks, Key Players in the Regional Climate Plan
The nine regional natural parks (PNR) cover more than 270 municipalities, 300,000 inhabitants in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, and attract nearly 2 million tourists each year. They cover 30% of the regional territory. Beyond their tourist and ecological interest, they are undeniable economic drivers for the territories.
Given this, the southern region has made them key players in terms of biodiversity preservation, fire prevention, and environmental education. It allocates more than half of its biodiversity budget to them under its climate plan ‘a COP in advance.’ Thus, each year, the PNRs receive over eight million euros in regional aid. To strengthen its partnerships with these nine parks, the region adopted the Parks Contract during the Plenary Assembly on December 17, 2020. Within an annual envelope of 1.8 million euros, approximately 200,000 euros per park, the Contract aims to identify the structural investments the PNRs plan over the next three years, with the region contributing up to 50% of the projects submitted for its approval.
The Sainte Marie-Madeleine Grotto, a Heritage Jewel to Protect in the Heart of Sainte-Baume
A true green lung, the Sainte-Baume PNR conducts exemplary actions that contribute to the well-being of residents, strives for carbon neutrality, and preserves its exceptional heritage. It is notably for these reasons that the park is twinned with Mount Fuji in Japan. They share the sacred dimension of their iconic mountain and common challenges.
The 52nd PNR of France, Sainte-Baume, encompasses over 130 hectares, awarded the ‘Exceptional Forest’ label in 2018, and hosts the Sainte Marie-Madeleine Grotto, thus combining ecology, spirituality, and tourism. With its 250,000 visitors per year, it constitutes a major historical and cultural heritage of the Sainte-Baume PNR.
A budget of 200,000 euros of works was voted on December 17, 2020, during the Plenary Assembly. The work assessment led to planning two phases. The first phase, which includes surveys and cleansing and maintenance work, was inaugurated this Sunday, April 4.
