In order to contribute to a reflection on the evolution and expansion of the notion of “patrimony,” this study focuses on the “patrimonialization” of local festivals in Provence as an indicator of modernity. The comparison between votive festivals, brotherhood festivals, and more recent thematic festivals creates a classification based on their more or less marked patrimonial dimension. The first types of festivals are characterized by their excess and their indifference towards the notion of patrimony. Only the third type is explicitly patrimonial. This classification sheds a new light on the notions of tradition and patrimony and makes the connection between festivals and the successive stages in the historical construction of local cultural identities.