BÉNÉDICTION DES CALISSONS
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The blessing of the calissons is a Sunday event not to be missed with several strong times in town. Traditional and greedy !
The calisson, this small diamond of sweet treat is composed of finely ground almonds, decorated with Provençal melon and orange peels, set on a bed of altar bread and covered with a case of royal ice. An Aix specialty whose origin goes back to the 15th century! In 1995, the brotherhood of the Echansons du Roy René (a brotherhood that defends the gourmet heritage of Aix, food and wine combined) revived a religious tradition that dates back to 1630, the date on which the assessor Martelly vowed to give thanks to the Virgin of Aix if she interceded for the extinction of the plague epidemic, every year on the first Sunday in September. Over the years, the tradition of offering calissons to the faithful on this occasion has been established. The renewal of this beautiful tradition is a delight for the Aix inhabitants and their visitors. In the church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte, the bishop blesses the baskets filled with calissons of the Aix craftsmen before distributing them to the faithful gourmands and tasting them. And for two days, we celebrate the calisson and the other traditions of Aix.
