Les Milles: Camp des Milles, Church and Market

Les Milles brings together several distinct points of interest for a trip: the Site-Mémorial du Camp des Milles, the Église Sainte-Madeleine, the Chapelle du Serre and the Marché des Milles. This lets you choose a destination based on your interests—from history and remembrance to architecture and food markets. This variety provides a practical starting point when choosing a hotel: the historic sites and the market offer different thematic highlights.

Site-Mémorial du Camp des Milles

The Site-Mémorial du Camp des Milles is the only large French internment and deportation camp that remains intact and is open to the public. Its size, preserved condition and public access make it a significant focal point for travelers who wish to include historic memorial sites in their choice of destination. Those particularly interested in this subject will find a clear reason here to include Les Milles in their travel plans.

Église Sainte-Madeleine: Building History and Architecture

The Église Sainte-Madeleine can be understood through two phases of construction. The first, simple building was erected between 1696 and 1702; the extension was completed in 1746. This clearly distinguishes the original construction from the later extension. Compared with the Chapelle du Serre, built in 1946, the Église’s building history points to a much earlier period. These dates offer a chronological perspective on this aspect of the town’s profile.

Architectural features of the Église include a square bell tower with a campanile and a façade with two sculpted niches. After the French Revolution, the church was refurnished with works of art from various religious buildings in Aix-en-Provence. This brings together its exterior form and a later change to its furnishings. The origin of the works adds another point of reference to the building’s history: they came from several religious buildings in Aix-en-Provence, not just one.

Chapelle du Serre and the Tradition of Remembrance

The Chapelle du Serre was built in 1946. The residents of Les Milles brought together stones from a German bunker near the Arc for its construction. The year marks when the chapel was built; the origin of the stones adds a specific local contribution to its history. In this way, the chapel’s construction history connects the building with the residents’ involvement and the source of the materials used.

To commemorate the liberation, the residents of Les Milles traditionally gather at the Chapelle du Serre every August 21 at around 6:30 p.m. A wreath is laid beforehand at the village war memorial. The proceedings begin with the wreath-laying and continue with a gathering at the chapel, on a specific date and at an approximate time. If you wish to include the commemoration in your travel plans, check the date for the relevant year.

Marché des Milles

The Marché des Milles is a food market with a range of stalls. It adds a culinary dimension to the historical themes and offers a different focus from the memorial and churches. The mix of stalls may change, so keep this possibility in mind when planning. If you are considering a market visit as part of your trip, it offers a different thematic focus from the building history or the commemoration of the liberation.

Discover more destinations: Cornillon-Confoux, Les-Pennes-Mirabeau, Bouc-Bel-Air, Pont De Crau Arles, Gardanne, Aigues-Mortes, Beaurecueil, Berre-L'étang.

For the wider travel overview: Bouches Du Rhone.