Mary Magdalen in Provence: The Coffin and the Cave

This book concentrates on the venerable tradition that links Mary to the heart of la Provence Verte. To the cave in the massif of Saint-Baume where she is said to have ended her days as a hermit, after helping evangelise the area; and to the coffin in the nearby town of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume which is said to contain her bones. Places which for centuries have been a magnet for pilgrims and which remain centres of pilgrimage and spiritual activity today. Provence and Mary Magdalen-two endlessly fascinating subjects. Yet the tradition linking the two is hardly known in the English-speaking world. Here-in a quest both spiritual and historical-is its first full-length examination. Could there be any truth in it? Michael Donley has worked as a Lecturer in English in several countries, and has previously published on French literature and music criticism.