Nacioun Gardiano

The Nacioun gardiano is a maintenance association founded in 1904 in France. Its goal is to "maintain and glorify the costume, customs, and traditions of the country of Arles, the Camargue and the bullfighting countries".
History.
The foundation of the Virginian Coumitat.
Folco de Baroncelli-Javon, at the request of Frédéric Mistral, decides to involve the herdsmen in the Camargue festivities such as the abrivade, the ferrade, the Camargue race, etc. Faced with success, the June 24, 1904at the mas de l'Amarèu, the Marquis and some of his friends founded the Coumitat Virginien . The ten founders are: Jules Grand de Marsillargues, captain, Jean Grand de Gallargues, secretary, Jean Bérard de Gallargues, treasurer, Folco de Baroncelli, Marcel Grand, Jules Arnaud, Émile Marignan, Henri Bérard, Alphonse Hébrard and Yvan Pranishnikoff.
Tradition and tourism.
The tourist office of Provence having organized a special trip from Marseille to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer for some two hundred tourists, the May 17, 1908, the Marquis de Baroncelli takes the initiative to welcome them at the station, on horseback with his guardians, then to accompany them to the village. This caused a lot of noise and therefore “tradition” became one of the major assets of Saintain tourism.
Creation of Nacioun Gardiano.
On May 24, 1935, the herdsmen welcome the Saintes and Sara for the sea bath.
The association was declared in the official journal on September 16, 1909 under its name Nacioun Gardiano and its registered office is in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. She chooses a banner on which appears on one side the barque des Saintes, surmounted by the star with the seven rays of Félibrige, on the other side the blood and gold cross of Languedoc flanked by the war cry of the Albigensians "Toulouso, ( Prouvenço) e Avignoun ”. During the ceremonies is tied to the shaft of the Camargue trident (lou ferri).