Provence (Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to Italy. Gordes (Gòrda in classical norm oc ''Gordo'' in Mistralian norm is a mountain village and small adminitrative district in the Luberon area in the Vaucluse The Vaucluse ( Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm is a department in the southeast of A calanque (from the Corsican word of Preindoeuropean origin calanca (plural calanche) with meaning "inlet" Occitan Provençal ( Provençau) is one of several dialects of Occitan spoken by a minority of people mostly in Provence (in southern France Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA ( Provençal Occitan: Provença-Aups-Còsta d'Azur in classical norm or Prouvènço-Aup-Costo d'Azur in Mistralian The traditional region of Provence comprises the départements of Var, Vaucluse, and Bouches-du-Rhône and parts of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division The Var is a French department in Provence in southeast France The Vaucluse ( Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm is a department in the southeast of Bouches-du-Rhône ( Occitan: Bocas de Ròse, lit "Mouths of the Rhône River" is a department in the south of France named after the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ( Occitan: Aups d'Auta Provença) is a French department in the south of France, it was formerly part of the province Alpes-Maritimes ( Occitan: Aups Maritims) is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France. Provence is so named because it was the first Roman province outside of Italy.
History of Provence
- See also: Lower Burgundy
Prehistoric Provence
Provence has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Lower Burgundy was a historical kingdom in Provence, in southeastern France. Paleolithic sites dating to 900,000 B. The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" C. have been found along the Côte d'Azur in the interior country above Nice, at the Cave of Valloet (near Roquebrune) and a site dating to 600,000 B. The French Riviera (Côte d'Azur Occitan: Còsta Azzura) is one of the most famous resort areas in the world extending along the Mediterranean Sea west Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek C. at Terra Amata, in the Alpes-Maritimes. -- 216175714 ( talk) 0344 7 October 2008 (UTC Terra Amata is an Archaeological site near the French town of Nice. Alpes-Maritimes ( Occitan: Aups Maritims) is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France. Remains of a settlement dating to between 27,000 and 19,000 B. C. were found by Henri Cosquer in 1991 at the Cosquer Cave, an underwater cave in a calanque on the coast near Marseille. The Cosquer cave is located in the Calanque de Morgiou near Marseille, France, not very far from Cap Morgiou Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ The cave walls were decorated with drawings of bisons, seals, penguins, horses and outlines of human hands. [1] A neolithic site dating to about 6,000 B. C. was discovered in Marseille near the Saint Charles railway station. Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ Dolmens from the Bronze Age (2,500-900 B. A dolmen (also known as cromlech, anta, Hünengrab, Hunebed, Goindol, quoit, and portal dolmen) is a type of The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for C. ) can be found near Draguignan and the Valley of Marvels near Mt. Draguignan is a French city in the Var département, of which it is a Sous-préfecture, self-proclaimed "capital Bégo in the Alpes-Maritimes, at an altitude of 2000 meters, has an outdoor sanctuary with more than 40,000 rock carvings.
The Greeks in Provence
Greek sailors from Asia Minor began to arrive along the coast in the 7th Century B. Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ C. . establishing depots (emporia) for trade with the local inhabitants. The first permanent Greek settlement was Massalia, established at modern-day Marseille in about 546 B. Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ C. by colonists coming from Phocaea (now Foça, in modern Turkey) on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, who were fleeing an invasion by the Persians. This article is about the ancient city For the modern city see Foça Phocaea, or Phokaia, (Φώκαια (modern-day Foça This article is about the modern city For the ancient Ionian Greek city see Phocaea Foça is a district as well as the center town of that Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox Massalia became one of the major trading ports of the ancient world. The Phocaeans also established colonies at Nicoea (now Nice), Tauroentum and Rohanousia (now Arles); at Cannes, and south of Nimes. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, Cannes (kan in Occitan Canas) is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Nîmes ( Provençal Occitan: Nimes in both classical and Mistralian norms is a city in southern France.
Other Greek settlements were established at Olbia (modern Saint-Pierre d l'Almanarre, near Hyeres); Antipolis (modern Antibes). Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes The Greek traders ventured inland by rivers (the Durance and Rhone) deep into France, and overland to Switzerland and Burgundy. The Durance ( Occitan: Durença in classical norm or Durènço in Mistralian norm is a 324 km long River in south-eastern France, The Rhone, or the Rhône is one of the major Rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France. One enterprising Greek navigator, Pytheas, sailed from Marseille as far as Cornwall in England between 330 and 320 B. Dates Pliny says that Timaeus (born about 350 BC believed Pytheas' story of the discovery of Amber. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland C. in search of tin. Tin is a Chemical element with the symbol Sn (stannum and Atomic number 50
The Ligures and Gauls in Provence
The Ligures, a Celtic people probably coming from Asia Minor, began to enter Provence in about the 4th Century B. The Ligures (singular Ligus or Ligur; English: Ligurians, Greek:) were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black C. . , and reached as far as Rome in 390 B. C. They and established their own hilltop towns and forts throughout the region. Different tribes settled in different parts of Provence; the Cavates settled in the Vaucluse; the Oxybii and Deciates in the Var and Alpes-Maritimes; the Voconces in the Drome; and the Salyens in Lower Provence. The Vaucluse ( Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm is a department in the southeast of The Oxybii (Ὀξύβιοι were a Ligurian tribe living on the Mediterranean coast of France near Massallia. The Deciates (Δεκιῆται were a Ligurian tribe in the first few centuries BC Alpes-Maritimes ( Occitan: Aups Maritims) is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France. [2]. The Ligures were gradually assimilated by another Celtic people, the Gauls, and they were soon in conflict with the people of Massalia. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western They aided the passage of Hannibal, on his way to attack Rome (sometime between 247 and 183 B. Hannibal (Pronounced in Phoenician: Hanniba'al means " Ba'al is my grace " or " Ba'al has given me grace " 247 BC &ndash Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 C. ) while the people of Massalia looked upon Rome as a potential ally.
Roman Provence (2nd Century B. C. to 5th Century A. D. )
In the 2nd century BC the people of Massalia appealed to Rome for help against the Ligures. The Pont du Gard is an aqueduct in the South of France constructed by the Roman Empire, and located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins Roman legions entered Provence three times; first in 181 B. C. the Romans suppressed Ligurian uprisings near Genoa; in 154 B. C. the Roman Consul Optimus defeated the Oxybii and the Deciates, who were attacking Antibes; and in 125 B. The Oxybii (Ὀξύβιοι were a Ligurian tribe living on the Mediterranean coast of France near Massallia. The Deciates (Δεκιῆται were a Ligurian tribe in the first few centuries BC C. , the Romans put down an uprising of a confederation of Celtic tribes. [3] After this battle, the Romans decided to establish permanent settlements in Provence. In 122 B. C. , next to the Celtic town of Entremont, the Romans built a new town, Aquae Sextiae, later called Aix-en-Provence. Aix (ɛks or Aix-en-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Ais de Provença in classical norm or Ais de Prouvènço in Mistralian norm to distinguish In 118 B. C. they founded Narbonne. Narbonne ( Narbona in Catalan and in Occitan, the Roman Narbo) is a commune in southwestern France in the
The Roman general Gaius Marius crushed the last serious resistance in 102 B. This article is about the Roman statesman who reorganized the army and was seven times Consul C. by defeating the Cimbri and the Teutons. The Cimbri were a Celtic or Germanic tribe who together with the Teutones and the Ambrones threatened the Roman Republic in the late The Teutons or Teutones (from Proto-Germanic * Þeudanōz) were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors He then began building roads to facilitate troop movements and commerce between Rome, Spain and Northern Europe; one from the coast inland to Apt and Tarascon, and the other along the coast from Italy to Spain, passing through Frejus and Aix-en-Provence. Tarascon, sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a town and commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône Fréjus can also refer to the Fréjus Road Tunnel and the Fréjus Rail Tunnel in the Alps
In 49 B. C. , Massalia had the misfortune to choose the wrong side in the power struggle between Pompey and Julius Caesar. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation Pompey was defeated, and Massalia lost its territories and political influence. Roman veterans, in the meantime, populated two new towns, Arles and Frejus, at the sites of older Greek settlements.
In 8 B. Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, C. the Emperor Augustus built a triumphal monument at La Turbie to commemorate the pacification of the region, and he began to Romanize Provence politically and culturally. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was La Turbie (in Italian "Turbia" from tropea Latin for trophy is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France Roman engineers and architects built monuments, theaters, baths, villas, fora, arenas and aquaducts, many of which still exist. An aqueduct is an artificial channel that is constructed to convey water from one location to another (See Architecture of Provence. The Architecture of Provence includes a rich collection of monuments from the Roman Empire; Cistercian monasteries from the Romanesque Period Medieval ) Roman towns were built at Cavaillon; Orange; Arles; Fréjus; Glanum (outside Saint-Rémy-de-Provence,); Carpentras, Vaison-la-Romaine; Nimes; Vernègues; Saint-Chamas and Cimiez (above Nice). Cavaillon is a commune of the Vaucluse département, in southern France. Orange ( Provençal Occitan: Aurenja in classical norm or Aurenjo in Mistralian norm norm is a town and commune in the Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, Fréjus can also refer to the Fréjus Road Tunnel and the Fréjus Rail Tunnel in the Alps Glanum was a Roman city in Gallia Narbonensis — Provence in southern France — sited on the flanks of the Alpilles, a range Saint-Rémy-de-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Sant Romieg de Provença in classical and Sant Roumié de Prouvènço in Mistralian norms Carpentras ( Provençal Occitan: Carpentràs in classical norm or Carpentras in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the Vaison-la-Romaine (Latin Vasio Vocontiorum) is a small town and former bishopric in Provence. Nîmes ( Provençal Occitan: Nimes in both classical and Mistralian norms is a city in southern France. Vernègues is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Saint-Chamas (in Provençal Occitan: Sanch Amàs according to classical orthography, Sant Chamas according to Mistralian orthography Cimiez is an Upper class neighborhood in Nice, France. The area contains the Henri Matisse Museum and the Roman Ruins (arena amphitheatre thermal The Roman province, which was called Narbonensis, for its capital, Narbo (modern Narbonne), extended from Italy to Spain, and from the Alps to the Pyrenees. Gallia Narbonensis ( Narbonese Gaul) was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in southern France. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés
The Pax Romana in Provence lasted until the middle of the 3rd century. Pax Romana ( Latin for " Roman Peace " was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force Germanic tribes invaded Provence in 257 and 275. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic At the beginning the 4th century, the court of Roman Emperor Constantine (280-337) was forced to take refuge in Arles. By the end of the 5th century, Roman power in Provence had vanished, and an age of invasions, wars, and chaos began.
The arrival of Christianity in Provence (3rd-6th centuries)
There are many legends about the earliest Christians in Provence, but they are difficult to verify. It is documented that there were organized churches and bishops in the Roman towns of Provence as early as the 3rd and 4th centuries; in Arles in 254; Marseille in 314; Orange, Vaison and Apt in 314; Cavaillon, Digne, Embrun, Gap, and Fréjus at the end of the 4th century; Aix-en-Provence in 408; Carpentras, Avignon, Riez, Cimiez and Vence in 439; Antibes in 442; Toulon in 451; Senez in 406, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux in 517; and Glandèves in 541. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ Orange ( Provençal Occitan: Aurenja in classical norm or Aurenjo in Mistralian norm norm is a town and commune in the Vaison-la-Romaine (Latin Vasio Vocontiorum) is a small town and former bishopric in Provence. Apt ( Provençal Occitan: At / Ate in both classical and Mistralian norms is a commune in the Vaucluse department Cavaillon is a commune of the Vaucluse département, in southern France. Digne-les-Bains or simply and historically Digne ( Occitan: Dinha in classical norm or Digno in Mistralian norm is a commune of There is also an Embrun in Ontario Canada Embrun ( Latin: Ebrodunum, Ebrudunum, and Eburodunum) Gap (Gap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department. Fréjus can also refer to the Fréjus Road Tunnel and the Fréjus Rail Tunnel in the Alps Aix (ɛks or Aix-en-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Ais de Provença in classical norm or Ais de Prouvènço in Mistralian norm to distinguish Carpentras ( Provençal Occitan: Carpentràs in classical norm or Carpentras in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the Avignon (/aviɲɔ̃/ in French) ( Provençal: Avinhon in classical norm or Avignoun in Mistralian norm is a commune Riez is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Cimiez is an Upper class neighborhood in Nice, France. The area contains the Henri Matisse Museum and the Roman Ruins (arena amphitheatre thermal Vence is a commune set in the hills of the Alpes Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large Senez is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Glanate was a Gallo-Roman town on the right bank of the Var, which became the episcopal see of Glandève. [4]. The oldest still-existing Christian structure in Provence is the baptistery of the cathedral in Fréjus, dating from the 5th century. At about the same time, in the 5th century, the first two monasteries in Provence were founded; Lérins, on an island near Cannes; and Saint-Victor in Marseille. Lérins Abbey is a Cistercian Monastery on the island of Saint-Honorat, one of the Lérins Islands, on the French Riviera, with
Germanic invasions, Merovingians and Carolingians (5th-9th centuries)
Beginning in the second half of the 5th century, as Roman power waned, successive waves of Germanic tribes entered Provence; first the Visigoths (480); then the Ostrogoths; then the Burgundians; then the Franks in the 6th century. The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East The Ostrogoths (Ostrogothi or Austrogothi were a branch of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe that played a major role in the political events of the late The Burgundians or Burgundes were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group Arab invaders and Berber pirates came from North Africa to the Coast of Provence the beginning of the 7th century. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding
During this chaotic period, Provence was ruled by Frankish kings of Merovingian dynasty, then Carolingian Kings, descended from Charles Martel; and then was part of the empire of Charlemagne (742-814). The Merovingians (also Merovings) were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region (known as Francia in Latin The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his In 879, after the death of the Carolingian ruler Charles the Bald, Boso of Provence, (also known as Boson), his brother-in-law, broke away from the Carolingian kingdom of Louis III and was elected the first ruler of an independent state of Provence. Charles the Bald ( 13 June 823 – 6 October 877) Holy Roman Emperor (875–877 as Charles II) and King of West Francia Boso was a Frankish nobleman from the Bosonid -family who was related to the Carolingian dynasty, who rose to become King of Provence (879 &ndash
The Counts of Provence (9th Century - 13th Century)
Three different dynasties of Counts ruled Provence during the Middle Ages, and Provence became a prize in the complex rivalries between the Catalan rulers of Barcelona, the Kings of Burgundy, the German rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Angevin Kings of France. Charlieu Abbey or St Fortunatus' Abbey Charlieu ( French: Abbaye de Charlieu) located at Charlieu, Loire, Burgundy, Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia The following is a list of the Kings of Burgundy. Kings of the Burgundians The Burgundians had left Bornholm c The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Angevin (ˈændʒəvɪn ( French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Andegavinus from Andegavia Anjou, France) is the name applied
The Bosonids (879-1112) were the descendants of the first King of Provence, Boson. The Bosonids were a Dynasty of Franks that have been named in modern times by their descent from Boso the Elder. His son, Louis the Blind (890-928) lost his sight trying to win the throne of Italy, after which his cousin, Hugh of Italy (died 947) became the Duke of Provence and the Count of Vienne. Louis the Blind (c 880 &ndash 28 June 928) was the King of Provence from 887 King of Italy from 900 and briefly Holy Roman Emperor Hugh of Arles or Hugh of Provence (before 887 &ndash 10 April 948) was King of Italy from 924 until his death Hugh moved the capital of Provence from Vienne to Arles and made Provence a fief of Rudolph II of Burgundy. Under the system of Feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing Rudolf II (died July 11, 937) was king of Upper Burgundy (912&ndash937 Lower Burgundy ( Provence) (933&ndash937 and Italy (effective
In the 9th century, Arab pirates (Called Saracens by the French) and then the Normans invaded Provence. Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. The Normans pillaged the region and then left, but the Saracens built castles and began raiding towns and holding local residents for ransom. Early in 973, the Saracens captured Maieul, the Abbot of the Monastery at Cluny, and held him for ransom. The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity. The Abbey of Cluny (or Cluni, or Clugny, pronunciation klyˈni is an abbey in France. The ransom was paid and the abbot was released, but the people of Provence, led by Count William I rose up and defeated the Saracens near their most powerful fortress Fraxinetum (La Garde-Freinet) at the Battle of Tourtour. William I (c 950 &ndash 993 after 29 August) called the Liberator, was Count of Provence from 968 to his abdication La Garde-Freinet is a commune of the Var department in southeastern France. The Battle of Tourtour of 973 was a great victory for the Christian forces of William I of Provence over the Saracen Pirates based at Fraxinetum The Saracens who were not killed at the battle were baptized and made into slaves, and the remaining Saracens in Provence fled the region. Meanwhile, the dynastic quarrels continued. A war between Rudolph III of Burgundy and his rival, the German Emperor Conrad the Salic in 1032 led to Provence becoming a fiefdom of the Holy Roman Empire, which it remained until 1246. Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Conrad II (c 990&ndash June 4, 1039) was the son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace who inherited The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in
In 1112, the last descendant of Boson, Douce I of Provence, married the Catalan Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, who as a result became Raymond Berenguer I, Count of Provence. Douce I (also Dulcia or Dolça, called "of Rouergue" or "of Gévaudan" (c Ramon Berenguer III the Great was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Osona from 1082 (jointly with Berenguer Ramon II and solely He ruled Provence from 1112 until 1131, and his descendants, the Catalan Dynasty ruled Provence until 1246. In 1125, Provence was divided; the part of Provence north and west of the Durance River went to the Count of Toulouse, while the lands between the Durance and the Mediterranean, and from the Rhone River to the Alps, belonged to the Counts of Provence. The Durance ( Occitan: Durença in classical norm or Durènço in Mistralian norm is a 324 km long River in south-eastern France, The first comites ( counts) of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians No succession of such royal The Durance ( Occitan: Durença in classical norm or Durènço in Mistralian norm is a 324 km long River in south-eastern France, The capital of Provence was moved from Arles to Aix-en-Provence, and later to Brignoles. Brignoles is a town and commune of southeastern France, in the Var département, of which it is a sous-préfecture [5]
Under the Catalan dynasty, the 12th century saw the construction of important cathedrals and abbeys in Provence, in a harmonious new style, the romanesque, which united the Gallo-Roman style of the Rhone Valley with the Lombard style of the Alps. Sénanque Abbey ( Occitan: abadiá de Senhanca, French: Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque) is a Cistercian Abbey near the village Gordes (Gòrda in classical norm oc ''Gordo'' in Mistralian norm is a mountain village and small adminitrative district in the Luberon area in the Vaucluse This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or This article covers the culture of Romanized areas of Gaul. For the political history of the brief "Gallic Empire" of the 3rd century see Gallic Empire Aix Cathedral was built on the site of the old Roman forum, and then rebuilt in the gothic style in the 13th and 14th centuries. Aix Cathedral ( Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix) in Aix-en-Provence in southern France is a Roman Catholic cathedral The Church of St. Trophime in Arles was a landmark of romaneque architecture, built between the 12th and the 15th centuries. The Church of St Trophime ( Trophimus) is a Roman Catholic church and former Cathedral built between the 12th century and the 15th A vast fortress-like monastery, Montmajour Abbey, was built on an island just north of Arles, and became a major destination for medieval pilgrims. Montmajour Abbey (French Abbaye Notre Dame de Montmajour) is a fortified Benedictine monastery built between the 10th and 13th century on what was
In the 12th century three Cistercian monasteries were built in remote parts of Provence, far from the political intrigues of the cities. Sénanque Abbey was the first, established in the Luberon 1148 and 1178. Sénanque Abbey ( Occitan: abadiá de Senhanca, French: Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque) is a Cistercian Abbey near the village Le Thoronet Abbey was founded in a remote valley near Draguignan in 1160. Thoronet Abbey (French L'abbaye du Thoronet) is a former Cistercian Abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century now restored Draguignan is a French city in the Var département, of which it is a Sous-préfecture, self-proclaimed "capital Silvacane Abbey, on the Durance River at La Roque-d'Anthéron, was founded in 1175. Silvacane Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in the municipality of La Roque-d'Anthéron, Bouches-du-Rhône, in Provence, France La Roque-d'Anthéron is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.
In the 13th century, the French kings of the Angevin dynasty used marriage to extend their influence into the south of France. Angevin (ˈændʒəvɪn ( French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Andegavinus from Andegavia Anjou, France) is the name applied One son of Queen Blanche of Castile married the heir of the Count of Toulouse, and another, Louis IX or Saint Louis (1214-1270), married Marguerite of Provence; then, in 1246, Charles, the younger brother of Louis IX, married Beatrice of Provence, and Provence became a fief of the French Crown. For other persons called Blanche of Castile see Blanca of Castile. Marguerite of Provence ( Forcalquier, c 1221 &ndash December 21, 1295, Paris) was the eldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV Count of Provence Beatrice of Provence (1234&ndash 23 September 1267, Nocera Inferiore) was the first wife and Queen of Charles I of Sicily. List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below
The Popes in Avignon (14h Century)
In 1309, Pope Clement V, who was originally from Bordeaux, moved the Roman Catholic Papacy to Avignon. Pope Clement V' (About 1264 &ndash April 20, 1314) born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled de Gouth and de History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Avignon (/aviɲɔ̃/ in French) ( Provençal: Avinhon in classical norm or Avignoun in Mistralian norm is a commune From 1309 until 1377. seven Popes reigned in Avignon before the Schism between the Roman and Avignon churches, which led to the creation of rival popes in both places. After that three Antipopes reigned in Avignon until 1423, when the Papacy finally returned to Rome. An antipope ( Latin: antipapa) is a person who makes a widely accepted claim to be the lawful Pope, in opposition to the pope recognised by the Roman Between 1334 and 1363 Popes Benedict XII built the old Papal Palace of Avignon, and Clement VI built the New Palace; together the Palais des Papes was the largest gothic church in Europe. Pope Benedict XII (died April 25, 1342) born Jacques Fournier, was Pope from 1334 to 1342 Pope Clement VI (1291 &ndash December 6, 1352) born Pierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was Pope from May 1342 until his The Palais des Papes is a historical palace in Avignon, southern France, one of the largest and most important Medieval Gothic buildings in [6].
The 14th century was a terrible time in Provence, and all of Europe: the population of Provence had been about 400,000 people; the Black Plague (1348-1350) killed fifteen thousand people in Arles, half the population of the city, and greatly reduced the population of the whole region. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia The defeat of the French Army during the Hundred Years War forced the cities of Provence to build walls and towers to defend themselves against armies of former soldiers who ravaged the countryside. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior
The Angevin rulers of Provence also had a difficult time. An assembly of nobles, religious leaders, and town leaders of Provence was organized to resist the authority of Queen Joan I of Naples (1343-1382. Joan I (1328 – May 12, 1382) born Joanna of Anjou, was Queen of Naples from 1343 until her death ) She was murdered by her cousin and heir, Charles of Duras, in 1382, which started a new war, and led in 1388 to the separation of Nice, Puget-Théniers and Barcelonnette from Provence, and their attachment to the territories of Savoy. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Puget-Théniers is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Barcelonnette ( Barciloneta / Barcilona in Occitan is a commune in the Ubaye Valley, in the southern French Alps, in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence For the two French départements of the region of Savoy see Savoie and Haute-Savoie Savoy ( French
Good King René, the last ruler of Provence
The 15th century saw a series of wars between the Catalan rulers of Aragon and the Angevin Counts of Provence. Aragon ( Spanish: "Aragón") is an autonomous community of Spain. In 1423 the army of Alphonse of Aragon captured Marseille, and in 1443 they captured Naples, and forced its ruler, King René I of Naples, to flee. René of Anjou ( January 16, 1409 &ndash July 10, 1480) also known as René I of Naples and Good King René ( French He eventually settled in one of his remaining territories, Provence.
History and legend has given René the title "Good King Réne of Provence", though he only lived in Provence in the last ten years of his life, from 1470 to 1480, and his political policies of territorial expansion were costly and unsuccessful. Provence benefitted from population growth and economic expansion, and René was a generous patron of the arts, sponsoring painters Nicolas Froment, Louis Bréa, and other masters. Nicolas Froment (c 1435 in Uzès &ndash c 1486 in Avignon) was a French painter Ludovico (or Louis) Brea (c 1450 - c 1523 was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, active mainly in and near Genoa. He also completed one of the finest castles in Provence at Tarascon, on the Rhone River. Tarascon, sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a town and commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône
When René died in 1480, his title passed to his nephew Charles du Maine. Charles IV Duke of Anjou, also Charles of Maine Count of Le Maine and Guise (1436&ndash1481 was the son of the Angevin prince Charles of Le Maine, One year later, in 1481, when Charles died, the title passed to Louis XI of France. Louis XI ( July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483) called the Prudent (le Prudent and the Universal Spider ( Middle Provence was legally incorporated into the French royal domain in 1486.
Provence until the French Revolution
Soon after Provence became part of France, it became involved in the Wars of Religion that swept the country in the 16th century. The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting Between 1493 and 1501, many Jews were expelled from their homes and sought sanctuary in the region of Avignon, which was still under the direct rule of the Pope. In 1545, the Parliament of Aix] ordered the destruction of the villages of Lourmarin, Mérindol, Cabriéres in the Luberon, because their inhabitants were Vaudois, of Italian Piedmontese origin, and were not considered sufficiently orthodox catholics. Most of Provence remained strongly Catholic, with only one enclave of Protestants, the principality of Orange, Vaucluse, an enclave ruled by Prince William of the House of Orange-Nassau of the Netherlands, which was created in 1544 and was not incorporated into France until 1673. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Orange ( Provençal Occitan: Aurenja in classical norm or Aurenjo in Mistralian norm norm is a town and commune in the The House of Orange-Nassau (in Dutch: Huis van Oranje-Nassau) a branch of the German House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands An army of the Catholic League laid siege to the Protestant city of Mėnerbes in the Vaucluse between 1573 and 1578. The Vaucluse ( Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm is a department in the southeast of The wars did not stop until the end of the 16th century, with the consolidation of power in Provence by the House of Bourbon kings. The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty.
The semi-independent Parliament of Provence in Aix and some of the cities of Provence, particularly Marseille, continued to rebel against the authority of the Bourbon king. After uprisings in 1630-31 and 1648-1652, the young King Louis XIV had two large forts, fort St. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Jean and Fort St. Nicholas, built at the harbor entrance to control the city's unruly population.
At the beginning of the 16th century, Cardinal Richelieu began to build a naval arsenal and dockyard at Toulon to serve as a base for a new French Mediterreanean fleet. This article is about a cardinal For information on the Russian also called The Red Eminence, see Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov. Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large The base was greatly enlarged by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the minister of Louis XIV, who also commissioned his chief military engineer Vauban to strengthen the fortifications around the city. Jean-Baptiste Colbert ( August 29, 1619 — September 6, 1683) served as the French minister of finance from 1665 to 1683 under Sébastien Le Prestre Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban ( May 15, 1633 – March 30, 1707) commonly referred to
At the beginning of the 17th century Provence had a population of about 450,000 people. [7] It was predominantly rural, devoted to raising wheat, wine, and olives, with small industries for tanning, pottery, perfume-making, and ship and boat building. There was considerable commerce along the coast, and up and down the Rhone River. The cities: Marseille, Toulon,Avignon and Aix-en-Provence, saw the construction of boulevards and richly-decorated private houses.
At the beginning of the 18th century Provence suffered from the economic malaise of the end of the reign of Louis XIV. The plague struck the region between 1720 and 1722, beginning in Marseille, killing some 40,000 people. Still,by the end of the century, many artisinal industries began to flourish; making perfumes in Grasse; olive oil in Aix and the Alpilles; textiles in Orange, Avignon and Tarascon; and faience pottery in Marseille, Apt, Aubagne, and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. Perfume is a mixture of fragrant Essential oils and Aroma compounds Fixatives and Solvents used to give the human body animals objects and living Grasse ( Provençal Occitan: Grassa in classical norm or Grasso in Mistralian norm is a town and Episcopal see in southeastern For the architectural material see Glazed architectural terra-cotta. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, or simply Moustiers, is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département in eastern France a part Many immigrants arrived from Liguria and the Piedmont in Italy. By the end of the 18th century, Marseille had a population of 120,000 people, making it the third largest city in France. . [8]
Provence during the French Revolution
Though most of Provence, with the exception of Marseille, Aix and Avignon, was rural, conservative and largely royalist, it did produce some memorable figures in the French Revolution; Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau from Aix, who tried to moderate the Revolution, and turn France into a constitutional monarchy like England; the Marquis de Sade from Lacoste in the Luberon, who was a Deputy from the far left in the National Assembly; Charles Barbaroux from Marseille, who sent a battalion of volunteers to Paris to fight in the French Revolutionary Army; and Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès (1748-1836), an abbé, essayist and political leader, who was one of the chief theorists of the French Revolution, French Consulate, and First French Empire, and who, in 1799, was the instigator of the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire, which brought Napoleon Bonaparte to power. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Honoré Gabriel Riqueti Comte de Mirabeau ( March 9, 1749 &ndash April 2, 1791) was a French writer popular orator and statesman A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Donatien Alphonse François de Sade, Marquis de Sade ( June 2, 1740 – December 2, 1814) ( was a French aristocrat Charles Jean Marie Barbaroux ( March 6, 1767 &mdash June 25, 1794) was a French politician of the Revolutionary period. The French Revolutionary Army is the term used to refer to the military of France during the period between the fall of the Ancien regime under Louis The Consulate was the government of France between the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799 until the start of the Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe.
Provence also produced the most memorable song of the period, the La Marseillaise. " La Marseillaise " (la maʁsɛˡjɛz in English The Song of Marseille) is the National anthem of France. Though the song was originally written by a citizen of Strasbourg, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792, and it was originally a war song for the revolutionary Army of the Rhine, it became famous when it sung on the streets of Paris by the volunteers from Marseille, who had heard it when it was sung in Marseille by a young volunteer from Montpellier named François Mireur. Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle ( May 10, 1760 in Lons-le-Saunier, Jura – June 26, 1836 in Choisy-le-Roi, Montpellier ( Occitan Montpelhièr) is a City in the south of France. It became the most popular song of the Revolution, and in 1879 became the national anthem of France.
The Revolution and Reign of Terror was as violent and bloody in Provence as it was in other parts of France. Saint justjpg|thumbnail|200px| Louis Antoine Léon de Saint-Just]] The Reign of Terror' (5 September 1793 &ndash 28 July 1794 or simply The Terror (la Terreur was On April 30, 1790, Fort Saint-Nicolas in Marseille was besieged, and many of the soldiers inside were massacred. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1790 ( MDCCXC) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year On October 17, 1791 a massacre of royalists and religious figures took place in the ice storage rooms (glaciere) of the prison of the Palace of the Popes in Avignon. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1791 ( MDCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
When the radical Montagnards seized power from the Girondins in May 1793, a real counter-revolution broke out in Avignon, Marseille and Toulon. The Girondists (in French Girondins, and sometimes Brissotins or "Baguettes" were a political faction in France within the Legislative A revolutionary army under General Carteaux recaptured Marseille in August 1793 and renamed it "City without a Name" (Ville sans Nom. ) In Toulon, the opponents of the Revolution handed the city to a British and Spanish fleet on August 28, 1793. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 1793 ( MDCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A Revolutionary Army laid siege to the British positions for four months (see the Siege of Toulon), and finally, thanks to the enterprise of the young commander of artillery, Napoleon Bonaparte, defeated the British and drove them out in December, 1793. The Siege of Toulon ( 18 September - 18 December 1793) was an early Republican victory over a Royalist rebellion in the Southern French Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. About 15,000 royalists escaped with the British fleet, but five to eight hundred of the 7,000 who remained were shot on the Champ de Mars, and Toulon was renamed "Port la Montagne".
The fall of the Montagnards in July 1794 was followed by a new White Terror aimed at the revolutionaries. In general the term White Terror refers to acts of violence carried out by Reactionary (usually monarchist or conservative) groups as part of a Calm was only restored by the rise of Napoleon to power in 1795.
Provence under Napoleon I
Napoleon restored the belongings and power of the families of the old regime in Provence, but his wars against England and the Allies were deeply unpopular. The British fleet of Admiral Horatio Nelson blockaded Toulon, and almost all martime commerce was stopped, causing widespread hardship and poverty. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson 1st Viscount Nelson 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758– 21 October 1805 was a British When Napoleon was defeated, his fall was celebrated in Provence. When he escaped from Elba on March 1, 1815, and landed at Golfe-Juan, he detoured to avoid the cities of Provence, which were hostile to him. Elba (Ilva is an island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year
Provence in the 19th Century
Image Provence enjoyed prosperity in the 19th century; the ports of Marseille and Toulon connected Provence with the expanding French Empire in North Africa and the Orient, especially after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation
In April-July 1859, Napoleon III made a secret agreement with Cavour, Prime Minister of Piedmont, for France to assist in expelling Austria from the Italian peninsula and bringing about a united Italy, in exchange for Piedmont ceding Savoy and the Nice region to France. Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Th Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the three Peninsulas of Southern Europe For the two French départements of the region of Savoy see Savoie and Haute-Savoie Savoy ( French Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek He went to war with Austria in 1859 and won a victory at Solferino, which resulted in Austria ceding Lombardy to Piedmont, and, in return, Napoleon received Savoy and Nice in 1860, and Roquebrune and Menton in 1861. Solferino is a small town in Lombardy, Italy, approximately 10 Kilometres south of Lake Garda. Lombardy (Lombardia Latin: Langobardia, Western Lombard: Lumbardìa, Eastern Lombard: Lombardia) is one of the Menton (mɑ̃tɔ̃ Occitan: Menton in classical norm or Mentan in Mistralian norm Italian: Mentone) is a commune
The railroad connected Paris with Marseille (1848) and then with Toulon and Nice (1864). Nice, Antibes and Hyeres became popular winter resorts for European royalty, including Queen Victoria. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Under Napoleon III, Marseille grew to a population of 250,000, includiing a very large Italian community. Toulon had a population of 80,000. The large cities like Marseille and Toulon saw the building of churches, opera houses, grand boulevards, and parks.
After the fall of Louis Napoleon following the defeat in the Franco-German War barricades went up in the streets of Marseille (March 23, 1871) and the Communards, led by Gaston Cremieux and following the lead of the Paris Commune, took control of the city. The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War ( 19 July, 1870 — 10 May, 1871 Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Paris Commune (La Commune de Paris was a Government that briefly ruled Paris from 18 March (more formally from 26 March) to 28 May The Commune was crushed by the army and Cremieux was executed on November 30, 1871. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Though Provence was generally conservative, it often elected reformist leaders; Prime Minister Leon Gambetta was the son of a Marseille grocer, and future prime minister Georges Clemenceau was elected deputy from the Var in 1885. Léon Gambetta (2 April 1838 Cahors, Lot - 31 December 1882 Paris) was a French statesman prominent after the Franco-Prussian War Georges Benjamin Clemenceau ( Mouilleron-en-Pareds ( Vendée) 28 September 1841 24 November 1929 was a French statesman physician and Journalist
The second half of the 19th century saw a revival of the Provencal language and culture, particularly traditional rural values. Provençal ( Provençau) is one of several dialects of Occitan spoken by a minority of people mostly in Provence (in southern France driven by a movement of writers and poets called the Felibrige, led by poet Frederic Mistral. Frédéric Mistral ( September 8, 1830 — March 25, 1914) was a French Poet who led the 19th century revival of Mistral achieved literary success with his novel Miréio (Mireille in French); he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1904. The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature
Provence in the 20th Century
Between World War I and World War II Provence was bitterly divided between the more conservative rural areas and the more radical big cities. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including There were wide-spread strikes in Marseille in 1919, and riots in Toulon in 1935.
After the defeat of France by Germany in June 1940, France was divided into an occupied zone and unoccupied zone, with Provence in the unoccupied zone. Parts of eastern Provence were occupied by Italian soldiers. Collaboration and passive resistance gradually gave way to more active resistance, particularly after Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. and the Communist Party became active in the resistance. Jean Moulin, the deputy of Charles DeGaulle, the leader of the Free France resistance movement, was parachuted into Eygalières, in the Bouches-du-Rhône on January 2, 1942 to unite the diverse resistance movements in all of France against the Germans. Jean Moulin ( June 20, 1899 – July 8, 1943) was a high-profile member of the French Resistance during World War II Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French Eygalières is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Bouches-du-Rhône ( Occitan: Bocas de Ròse, lit "Mouths of the Rhône River" is a department in the south of France named after the Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
In November 1942, following Allied landings in North Africa (Operation Torch), the Germans occupied all of Provence (Operation Atilla) and then headed for Toulon (Case Anton). Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast) was the British - American invasion of French North Africa in World War II Atilla I was the Codename given to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. During World War II the German authorities codenamed the occupation of Vichy France Case (or Operation) Anton. The French fleet at Toulon sabotaged its ships to keep them from falling into German hands.
The Germans began a systematic rounding-up of French Jews and refugees from Nice and Marseille. Many thousands were taken to concentration camps, and few survived. A large quarter around the port of Marseille was emptied of inhabitants and dynamited, so it would not serve as a base for the resistance. Nonetheless, the resistance grew stronger; the leader of the pro-German militia, the Milice, in Marseille was assassinated in April 1943.
On August 15, 1944, two months after the Allied landings in Normandy (Operation Overlord), the Seventh United States Army under General Alexander M. Patch, with a Free French corps under General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, landed on the coast of the Var between St. Raphael and Cavalaire (Operation Dragoon). The 3rd Infantry Division &mdashnicknamed the Rock of the Marne &mdash is a United States Army infantry division based at Fort Stewart, Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of northwest Europe during World War II by Allied forces The Seventh United States Army, formerly the United States Army Europe, is the land component of United States European Command. General Alexander McCarrell "Sandy" Patch (November 23 1889 – November 21 1945 was an officer in the United States Army, best known for his service The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny ( 2 February 1889 &ndash 11 January 1952) was a French military hero of World Cavalaire-sur-Mer is a commune in the Var département, in southeastern France, part of the French Riviera. Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France, on 15 August, 1944, as part of World War II. The American forces moved north toward Manosque, Sisteron and Gap, while the French First Armored Division under General Vigier liberated Brignoles, Salon, Arles, and Avignon. Manosque ( Provençal Occitan: Manòsca in classical norm or Manosco in Mistralian norm is the largest town and commune in the Sisteron ( Occitan: Sisteron in classical norm or Sisteroun in Mistralian norm a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence The Germans in Toulon resisted until August 27, and Marseille was not liberated until August 25.
After the end of the War, Provence faced an enormous task or repair and reconstruction, particularly of the ports and railroads destroyed during the war. As part of this effort, the first modern concerete apartment block, the Unité d'Habitation of Corbusier, was built in Marseille in 1947-52. The Unité d'Habitation ( French, literally "Housing Unity" or "Housing Unit" since Unité has both meanings in French is the name of a Modernist Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier ( October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965) was a Swiss In 1962, Provence absorbed a large number of French citizens who left Algeria after its independence. Since that time, large North African communities settled in and around the big cities, particularly Marseille and Toulon.
In the 1940s, Provence underwent a cultural renewal, with the founding of the Avignon Festival of theater (1947), the reopening of the Cannes Film Festival (begun in 1939), and many other major events. The Festival d'Avignon, or Avignon Festival, is an annual Arts festival held in French city of Avignon. The Cannes Film Festival (le Festival de Cannes founded in 1946 is one of the world's oldest most influential and prestigious Film festivals alongside Venice, With the building of new highways, particularly the Paris Marseille autoroute which opened in 1970, Provence became destination for mass tourism from all over Europe. Many Europeans, particularly from Britain, bought summer houses in Provence. The arrival of the TGV high-speed trains shortened the trip from Paris to Marseille to less than four hours. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service
At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the residents of Provence were struggling to reconcile economic development and population growth with their desire to preserve the landscape and culture that make Provence unique.
Extent and geography
The original Roman province was called Gallia Transalpina, then Gallia Narbonensis, or simply Provincia Nostra ('Our Province') or Provincia. Gallia Narbonensis ( Narbonese Gaul) was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in southern France. Gallia Narbonensis ( Narbonese Gaul) was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in southern France. It extended from the Alps to the Pyrenees and north to the Vaucluse, with its capital in Narbo Martius (present-day Narbonne. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés The Vaucluse ( Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm is a department in the southeast of Narbonne ( Narbona in Catalan and in Occitan, the Roman Narbo) is a commune in southwestern France in the )
In the 15th century the Conté of Provence was bounded by the Var River on the east, the Rhône River to the west, with the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and a northern border that roughly followed the Durance River. The Var (Latin Varus) is a River located in the southeast of France. The Rhone, or the Rhône is one of the major Rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France. The Durance ( Occitan: Durença in classical norm or Durènço in Mistralian norm is a 324 km long River in south-eastern France,
Rivers of Provence
The Rhône River, on the western border of Provence, is one of the major rivers of France, and has been a highway of commerce and communications between inland France and the Mediterranean for centuries. The Rhone, or the Rhône is one of the major Rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France. It rises as the effluent of the Rhône Glacier in Valais, Switzerland, in the Saint-Gotthard massif, at an altitude of 1753 m. The Rhône Glacier is the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in The Valais ( German:) is one of the 26 Cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation . It is joined by the river Saône at Lyon. The Saône (son ( Sona in Arpitan) is a River of eastern France. Along the Rhône Valley, it is joined on the right bank by Cévennes rivers Eyrieux, Ardèche, Cèze and Gardon or Gard, on the left Alps bank by rivers Isère, Drôme, Ouvèze and Durance. The Cévennes are a range of mountains in south-central France, covering parts of the départements ' of Gard, Lozère, Ardèche The Eyrieux River is a tributary of the Rhône River in Europe. Ardèche ( Occitan and Arpitan: Ardecha) is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River. The Gardon or Gard ( Occitan and French: Gardon Gard) is a River in southern France. Gard ( Occitan: Gard) is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region Isère ( Arpitan: Isera, Occitan: Isèra) is a department, in the Rhône-Alpes ( Rôno-Arpes in Arpitan The Ouvèze is River in southern France, left tributary of the Rhône. The Durance ( Occitan: Durença in classical norm or Durènço in Mistralian norm is a 324 km long River in south-eastern France,
At Arles, the Rhône divides itself in two arms, forming the Camargue delta, with all branches flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. The Camargue ( Occitan: Camarga in classical norm or Camargo in Mistralian norm is located south of Arles, France, between the One arm is called the "Grand Rhône", the other one is the "Petit Rhône".
The Durance River, a tributary of the Rhône, has its source in the Alps near Briançon. The Durance ( Occitan: Durença in classical norm or Durènço in Mistralian norm is a 324 km long River in south-eastern France, Briançon ( Latin: Brigantium) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region It flows south-west through Embrun, Sisteron, Manosque. Sisteron ( Occitan: Sisteron in classical norm or Sisteroun in Mistralian norm a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Manosque ( Provençal Occitan: Manòsca in classical norm or Manosco in Mistralian norm is the largest town and commune in the Cavaillon, and Avignon. Cavaillon is a commune of the Vaucluse département, in southern France. Avignon (/aviɲɔ̃/ in French) ( Provençal: Avinhon in classical norm or Avignoun in Mistralian norm is a commune where it meets the Rhône.
The Verdon River is a tributary of the Durance, rising at an altitude of 2400 meters in the soutwestern Alps near Barcelonette, and flowing southwest for 175 kilometers through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Var (départements before it reaches the Durance at near Vinon-sur-Verdon, south of Manosque. The Verdon is a 166 km long River in south-eastern France, left tributary of the Durance. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ( Occitan: Aups d'Auta Provença) is a French department in the south of France, it was formerly part of the province Vinon-sur-Verdon is an old French town in the département of Var and in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Manosque ( Provençal Occitan: Manòsca in classical norm or Manosco in Mistralian norm is the largest town and commune in the The Verdon is best known for its impressive canyon: the Verdon Gorge. For the song see CANYONMID. For the band see Canyon (band. A canyon (rarely cañon) or gorge The Verdon Gorge (in French Gorges du Verdon or Grand canyon du Verdon) in south-eastern France ( Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) is a river This limestone canyon, also called the 'Grand Canyon of Verdon', 20 kilometres in length and more than 300 metres deep, is a popular climbing and sight-seeing area.
The Var River rises near the Col de la Cayolle (2,326 m/7,631 ft) in the Maritime Alps and flows generally southeast for 120 kilometres (75 mi) into the Mediterranean between Nice and Saint-Laurent-du-Var. The Var (Latin Varus) is a River located in the southeast of France. The Maritime Alps are a Mountain range in the south-western part of the Alps. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Saint-Laurent-du-Var is a commune in southeastern France, in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Before Nice was returned to France in 1860, the Var marked the eastern border of France along the Mediterranean. The Var is the unique case in France of a river giving a name to a department, but not flowing through that department.
The Camargue
With an area of over 930 km² (360 sq. miles), the Camargue is western Europe's largest river delta (technically an island, as it is wholly surrounded by water). The Camargue ( Occitan: Camarga in classical norm or Camargo in Mistralian norm is located south of Arles, France, between the It is a vast plain comprising large brine lagoons or étangs, cut off from the sea by sandbars and encircled by reed-covered marshes which are in turn surrounded by a large cultivated area. Brine (lat saltus) is Water saturated or nearly saturated with Salt (NaCl A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or Brackish water separated from the deeper Sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral Phragmites australis, the common reed, is a large perennial grass found in Wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject
The Camargue is home to more than 400 species of birds, the brine ponds providing one of the few European habitats for the greater flamingo. The Greater Flamingo ( Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread Species of the Flamingo family The marshes are also a prime habitat for many species of insects, notably (and notoriously) some of the most ferocious mosquitos to be found anywhere in France. Mosquitoes are insects in the family Culicidae. They have a pair of scaled wings a pair of Halteres, a slender body and long legs It is also famous for bulls, Black Bear and the Camargue horse.
Mountains of Provence
If the Maritime Alps, along the border with Italy, are considered part of Provence, they are the highest peaks in the region. The Maritime Alps are a Mountain range in the south-western part of the Alps. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest They form the border between the French département Alpes-Maritimes and the Italian province of Cuneo. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Alpes-Maritimes ( Occitan: Aups Maritims) is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Cuneo is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. Mercantour National Park is located in the Maritime Alps. Mercantour National Park (Parc national du Mercantour is one of the seven national parks of France.
The chief peaks of the Maritime Alps are:
| Punta dell'Argentera (Italy) | 3290 m | (10,794 ft) | Mont Ténibre | 3032 m | (9948 ft) | |
| Cime du Gélas | 3135 m | (10,286 ft) | Cime de l'Enchastraye | 2955 m | (9695 ft) | |
| Monte Matto (Italy) | 3087 m | (10,128 ft) | Mont Bégo | 2873 m | (9426 ft) | |
| Mont Pelat | 3053 m | (10,017 ft) | Mont Mounier | 2818 m | (9246 ft) | |
| Mont Clapier | 3046 m | (9994 ft) | Roche de l'Abisse | 2755 m | (9039 ft) |
Outside of the Maritime Alps, Mont Ventoux (Occitan: Ventor in classical norm or Ventour in Mistralian norm, at 1,909 metres (6,263 ft), is the highest peak in Provence. Mirabel-aux-Baronnies is a commune in the Drôme department in the Rhone-Alpes region in southeastern France. Mont Ventoux (Ventor in classical norm or oc ''Ventour'' in Mistralian norm is a Mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km It is located some 20 km north-east of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald Mountain". Although geologically part of the Alps, is often considered to be separate from them, due to the lack of mountains of a similar height nearby. It stands alone to the west of the Luberon range, and just to the east of the Dentelles de Montmirail, its foothills. The Luberon or Lubéron Massif ( Provençal Occitan: Leberon in classical norm or Leberoun in Mistralian norm has The Dentelles de Montmirail are a small chain of mountains in Provence in France, in the département of Vaucluse, The top of the mountain is bare limestone without vegetation or trees. The white limestone on the mountain's barren peak means it appears from a distance to be snow-capped all year round (its snow cover actually lasts from December to April).
The Alpilles are a chain of small mountains located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Avignon. The Chaîne des Alpilles is a small range of mountains in Provence, southern France, located about 20 km (12 miles south of Avignon at Although they are not particularly high - only some 387 metres (1,270 ft) at their highest point - the Alpilles stand out since they rise abruptly from the plain of the Rhône valley. The Rhone, or the Rhône is one of the major Rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France. The range is about 25 km long by about 8 to 10 km wide, running in an east-west direction between the Rhône and Durance rivers. The Durance ( Occitan: Durença in classical norm or Durènço in Mistralian norm is a 324 km long River in south-eastern France, The landscape of the Alpilles is one of arid limestone peaks separated by dry valleys. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3
Montagne Sainte-Victoire is probably the best-known mountain in Provence, thanks to the painter Paul Cezanne, who could see it from his home, and painted it frequently. Montagne Sainte-Victoire (in Provençal Occitan: Venturi / Santa Venturi according to classical orthography, Ventùri / Santo Ventùri It is a limestone mountain ridge which extends over 18 kilometres between the départements of Bouches-du-Rhône and Var. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Bouches-du-Rhône ( Occitan: Bocas de Ròse, lit "Mouths of the Rhône River" is a department in the south of France named after the The Var is a French department in Provence in southeast France Its highest point is the Pic des mouches at 1,011 metres (3,317 ft).
The Massif des Maures (Mountains of the Moors) is a small chain of mountains that lies along the coast of the Mediterranean in the Var Department between Hyères et Fréjus. Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Fréjus can also refer to the Fréjus Road Tunnel and the Fréjus Rail Tunnel in the Alps Its highest point is the signal de la Sauvette, 780 meters high. The name is a souvenir of the Moors (Maures in Old French), Arabs and Berbers from North Africa, who settled on the coast of Provence in the 9th and 10th centuries. The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley.
The massif des Maures extends about sixty kilometers along the coast, and reaches inland about thirty kilometers. On the north it is bordered by a depression which is followed by the routes nationales 97 and 7 and the railroad line between Toulon and Nice. On the south it ends abruptly at the Mediterraenan, forming a broken and abrupt coastline.
The peninsula of Saint-Tropez is part of the Massif des Maures, along with the peninsula of Giens and the islands offshore of Hyères; Porquerolles, Port-Cros, and île du Levant. San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language Cape Sicié, west of Toulon, as well as the massif of Tanneron, belong geologically to the massif des Maures. Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large Tanneron is a village and commune in the Var département of southeastern France.
The Calanques
The Calanques also known as the Massif des Calanques, are a dramatic feature of the Provence coast, a 20-kilomter long series of narrow inlets in the cliffs of the coastline between Marseille on the east and Cassis on the west. A calanque (from the Corsican word of Preindoeuropean origin calanca (plural calanche) with meaning "inlet" Occitan The Massif des Calanques is a wild and rugged terrain stretching from the ninth arondissement of Marseille to the east towards Cassis, spanning 20 km in length and Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ Cassis (kasis is a commune situated east of Marseille in the administrative department of the Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte The highest peak in the massif is Mont Puget, 565 meters high. The Mont Puget, named after a famous French Sculptor Pierre Puget, is a mountain part of Marseille-Cassis Calanques, located south-east of
The best known calanques of the Massif des Calanques include the Calanque de Sormiou, the Calanque de Morgiou, the Calanque d'En-Vau, the Calanque de Port-Pin and the Calanque de Sugiton. The Calanque de Sormiou is one of the big Calanques between Marseille and La Ciotat. The Calanque de Morgiou is one of the biggest Calanques located between Marseille and Cassis. The Calanque de Sugiton is one of the numerous Calanques located between Marseille and Cassis.
Calanques are remains of ancient river mouths formed mostly during Tertiary. Later, during quaternary glaciations, as glaciers swept by, they further deepened those valleys which would eventually (at the end of the last glaciation) be invaded with sea and become calanques.
The Cosquer cave is an underwater grotto in the Calanque de Morgiou, 37 m underwater, that was inhabited during Paleolithic era, when the sea level was much lower than today. The Cosquer cave is located in the Calanque de Morgiou near Marseille, France, not very far from Cap Morgiou The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" Its walls are covered with paintings and engravings dating back to between 27,000 and 19,000 BC, depicting animals such as bison, ibex, and horses as well as sea mammals such as seals and auks.
Landscapes of Provence
The Garrigue is the typical landscape of Provence; is a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean Basin, generally near the seacoast, where the climate is moderate,, but where there are annual summer drought conditions. Garrigue is a type of low soft-leaved Scrubland found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean Basin, generally near the seacoast where the climate is ameliorated Scrubland is a Plant community characterized by scrub Vegetation. The Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply [9] Juniper and stunted holm oaks are the typical trees; aromatic lime-tolerant shrubs such as lavender, sage, rosemary, wild thyme and Artemisia are common garrigue plants. Junipers are Coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. The Holm Oak ( Quercus ilex) also called Holly Oak or Evergreen Oak is a large Evergreen Oak native to the Mediterranean region. The Lavenders Lavandula are a Genus of about 25–30 species of Flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean Rosemary ( la Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody perennial Herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. Artemisia is a large diverse Genus of plants with between 200-400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. The open landscape of the garrigue is punctuated by dense thickets of Kermes oak. The Kermes Oak ( Quercus coccifera) is an Oak in the Turkey oak section ''Quercus'' sect
Climate
Most of Provence has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers, mild winters, little snow, and abundant sunshine. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide Within Provence there are micro-climates and local variations, ranging from the Alpine climate inland from Nice to the continental climate in the northern Vaucluse. The Vaucluse ( Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm is a department in the southeast of The winds of Provence are an important feature of the climate, particularly the mistral, a cold, dry wind which, especially in the winter, blows down the Rhone Valley to the Bouches-du-Rhône and the Var Departments, and often reaches over one hundred kilometers an hour. The Winds of Provence, the region of southeast France along the Mediterranean from the Alps to the mouth of the Rhone River are an important Bouches-du-Rhône ( Occitan: Bocas de Ròse, lit "Mouths of the Rhône River" is a department in the south of France named after the
Bouches-du-Rhône
Marseille, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, has an average of 59 days of rain a year, though when it does rain the rain is often torrential; the average annual rainfall is 544. Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ Bouches-du-Rhône ( Occitan: Bocas de Ròse, lit "Mouths of the Rhône River" is a department in the south of France named after the 4 centimeters. It snows an average of 2. 3 days a year, and the snow rarely remains long. Marseille has an average of 2835. 5 hours of sunshine a year. The average minimum temperature in January is 2. 3 °C. , and the average maximum temperature in July is 29. 3 °C. The mistral blows an average of one hundred days a year. [10]
The Var
Toulon and the Department of the Var (which includes St. Tropez and Hyeres) have a climate slightly warmer, dryer and sunnier than Nice and the Alpes-Maritime, but also less sheltered from the wind. Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large The Var is a French department in Provence in southeast France San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Toulon has an average of 2899. 3 hours of sunshine a year, making it the sunniest city in metropolitan France, [11]The average maximum daily temperature in August is 29. 1 °C. , and the average daily minimum temperature in January is 5. 8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 665 millimeters, with the most rain from October to November. Strong winds blow an average of 118 days a year in Toulon, compared with 76 days at Frejus further east. The strongest Mistral wind recorded in Toulon was 130 kilometers an hour. [12]
Alpes-Maritime
Nice and the Alpes-Maritime Department are sheltered by the Alps, and are the most protected part of the Mediterranean coast. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek The winds in this department are usually gentle, blowing from the sea to the land, though sometimes the Mistral blows strongly from the northwest, or, turned by the mountains, from the east. In 1956 a mistral wind from the northwest reached the speed of 180 kilometers an hour at Nice airport. [ Sometimes in summer the scirocco brings high temperatures and reddish desert sand from Africa. (See Winds of Provence. The Winds of Provence, the region of southeast France along the Mediterranean from the Alps to the mouth of the Rhone River are an important )
Rainfall is infrequent- 63 days a year, but can be torrential, particularly in September, when storms and rain are caused by the difference between the colder air inland and the warm Mediterranean water temperature (20-24 degrees C. ). The average annual rainfall in Nice is 767 millimeters, more than in Paris, but concentrated in fewer days.
Snow is extremely rare, usually falling once every ten years. 1956 was a very exceptional year, when 20 centimeters of snow blanketed the coast. In January 1985 the coast between Cannes and Menton received 30 to 40 centimeters of snow. In the mountains, the snow is present from November to May.
Nice has an annual average of 2694 hours of sunshine. The average maximum daily temperature in Nice in August is 28 °C. , and the average minimum daily temperature in January is 6 °C. [13]
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
The Department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence has a Mediterranean climate in the lower valleys under one thousand meters in altitude and an alpine climate in the high valleys, such as the valleys of the Blanche, the Haut Verdon and the Ubaye, which are over 2500 meters high. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ( Occitan: Aups d'Auta Provença) is a French department in the south of France, it was formerly part of the province For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see Climate of the Alps. The Ubaye Valley is an area in the Alpes de Haute-Provence département, in the French Alps and has approximately 7700 residents The alpine climate in the higher mountains is moderated by the warmer air from the Mediterranean.
Haute-Provence has unusually high summer temperatures for its altitude and latitude (44 degrees north). The average summer temperature is 22 to 23 °C. at an altitude of 400 meters, and 18 to 19 °C. at the altitude of 1000 meters; and the winter average temperatures is 4 to 5 °C. at 400 meters and 0 C. at 1000 meters. The lower valleys have 50 days of freezing temperatures a year, more in the higher valleys. Sometimes the temperatures in the high valleys can reach -30 °C. Because of this combination of high mountains and Mediterreanean air, it not unusual that the region frequently has some of the lowest winter temperatures and some of the hottest summer temperatures in France.
Rainfall is Haute-Provence is infrequent- 60 to 80 days a year - but can be torrential; 650 to 900 mm. a year in the foothills and plateaus of the southwes, and in the valley of the Ubaye; and 900 to 1500 mm. in the mountains. Most rainfall comes in the autumn, in brief and intense storms; from mid-June to mid-August, rain falls during brief but violent thunderstorms. Thunder can be heard 30 to 40 days a year.
Snow falls in the mountains from November to May, and in midwinter can be found down to altitude of 1000-1200 meters on the shady side of the mountains and 1300 to 1600 meters on the sunny side. Snowfalls are usually fairly light, and melt rapidly.
The Mistral (wind) is a feature of the climate in the western part of the Department, blowing from the north and the northwest, bringing clear and dry weather. The Mistral in France is a fresh or cold often violent and usually dry Wind, blowing throughout the year but is most frequent in winter and spring The eastern part of the department is more protected from the Mistral. The Marin (wind) comes from the south, bringing warm air, clouds and rain. The Marin is a warm moist wind in the Gulf of Lion of France, blowing from the southeast or south-southeast onto the coast of Languedoc and Roussillon
Haute-Provence is one of the sunniest regions of France, with an average of between 2550 and 2650 hours of sunshine annually in the north of the department, and 2700 to 2800 hours in the southwest. The clear nights and sunny days cause a sharp difference between night time and daytime temperatures. Because of the clear nights, the region is home of important observatories, such as the Observatory of Haute-Provence in Saint-Michel-Observatoire. [14]
The Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is the meeting point of three of the four different climatic zones of France; it has a Mediterranean climate in the south, an alpine climate in the northeast, around the mountains of Vaucluse and the massif of the Baronnies; and a continental climate in the northwest. The Vaucluse ( Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm is a department in the southeast of A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see Climate of the Alps. The Baronnies in French Les Baronnies is a historic name for the area East and North of Mont Ventoux in Southern France. Continental climate is a Climate that is characterized by Winter Temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of Snow cover each Year The close proximity of these three different climates tends to moderate all of them, and the Mediterranean climate usually prevails.
Orange in the Vaucluse has 2595 hours of sunshine a year. Orange ( Provençal Occitan: Aurenja in classical norm or Aurenjo in Mistralian norm norm is a town and commune in the It rains an average of 80 days a year, for a total of 693. 4 millimeters a year. The maximum average temperature in July is 29. 6 °C. , and the average minimum temperature in January is 1. 3 °C. There are an average of 110 days of strong winds a year. [15]
Language and literature of Provence
Historically the language spoken in Provence was provençal, a dialect of the occitan language, also known as langue d'oc, and closely related to Catalan. Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan There are several regional variations: vivaro-alpin, spoken in the Alps; and the provençal variations of south, including the maritime, the rhoadanien (in the Rhone Valley) and the niçois), in Nice. Vivaro-Alpine (English name or Vivaroalpenc Vivaroaupenc (native name is the northeastern dialect of the Occitan language. Provençal ( Provençau) is one of several dialects of Occitan spoken by a minority of people mostly in Provence (in southern France Niçard ( Classical orthography) Nissart/Niçart ( Mistralian orthography) Niçois ( French) or Nizzardo ( Italian Niçois is the archaic form of provençal closest to the original language of the troubadors, and is sometimes to said to be literary language of its own. Niçard ( Classical orthography) Nissart/Niçart ( Mistralian orthography) Niçois ( French) or Nizzardo ( Italian A troubadour ( IPA:, originally) was a composer and performer of Occitan Lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100&ndash1350 [16].
Provençal was widely spoken in Provence until the beginning of the 20th century, when the French government launched an intensive and largely successful effort to replace regional languages with French. Today Provençal is taught in schools and universities in the region, but is spoken regularly by a small number of people, probably less than five hundred thousand, mostly elderly.
Writers and Poets in the Occitane Language
The golden age of Provencal Literature, more correctly called Occitan literature, was the 11th century and the 12th century, when the troubadours broke away from classical Latin literature and composed romances and love songs in their own vernacular language. Occitan literature — still sometimes called Provençal literature — is a body of texts written in Occitan in what is nowadays the South of France Occitan literature — still sometimes called Provençal literature — is a body of texts written in Occitan in what is nowadays the South of France A troubadour ( IPA:, originally) was a composer and performer of Occitan Lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100&ndash1350 Latin literature, the body of written works in the Latin language remains an enduring legacy of the culture of Ancient Rome. Among the most famous troubadours was Folquet de Marseille, whose love songs became famous all over Europe, and who was praised by Dante in his Divine Comedy. Folquet de Marselha, alternatively Folquet de Marseille, Foulques de Toulouse, Fulk of Toulouse (c In his later years, Folquet gave up poetry to become the Abbot of Le Thoronet Abbey, and then Bishop of Toulouse, where he fiercely persecuted the Cathars. Thoronet Abbey (French L'abbaye du Thoronet) is a former Cistercian Abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century now restored
In the middle of the 19th century there was a literary movement to revive the language, called the Félibrige, led by the poet Frédéric Mistral ([1830-1914), who shared the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1904. The Félibrige (more aptly Felibritge, feliˈβridʒe in Occitan) is a literary and cultural association founded in the mid-19th century by Frédéric Mistral Frédéric Mistral ( September 8, 1830 — March 25, 1914) was a French Poet who led the 19th century revival of The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature
Provencal writers and poets who wrote in Occitan include:
- Raimbaut de Vaqueiras (1180-1207)
- Bellaud de la Bellaudière ((1543-1588)
- Théodore Aubanel (1829-1886)
- Joseph d'Arbaud (1874-1950)
- Robert Lafont (1923- )
French Authors from Provence
- Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) was the most best-known French writer from and about Provence in the 19th century, though he lived mostly in Paris and Champrosay. Raimbaut de Vaqueiras or Riambaut de Vaqueyras (floruit 1180-1207 was a Provençal Troubadour and later in his life knight Louis Bellaud also known as Bellaud de la Bellaudière ( 1543, Grasse - 1588) was a Provençal poet Théodore Aubanel ( Occitan: Teodòr Aubanèu) ( March 26, 1829 - 1886 was a Provencal poet Joseph d'Arbaud (1874–1950 was a French poet from Provence. Robèrt Lafont (ruˈβɛɾt laˈfun in Occitan (born in Nîmes on March 16, 1923) is an Occitan Intellectual from Provence Alphonse Daudet ( 13 May 1840 &ndash 16 December 1897) was a French Novelist. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Draveil is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. He was best known for his Lettres de mon moulin (eng: Letters from my Mill) (1869) and the Tartarin de Tarascon trilogy (1872, 1885,1890). His story L'Arlésienne (1872) was made into a three-act play with music by Bizet. L'Arlésienne was a Novel, written by Alphonse Daudet and first published in his Lettres de mon moulin, in 1869 Georges Bizet (25 October 1838 – 3 June 1875 was a French Composer and Pianist of the Romantic era [17]
- Marcel Pagnol (1895-1970), born in Aubagne, is known both as a filmmaker and for his stories of his childhood, Le Chateau de la Mere, La Gloire de mon Pere, and Le Temps des secrets. Marcel Pagnol ( February 28, 1895 – April 18, 1974) was a French Novelist, Playwright, and Filmmaker He was the first filmmaker to become a member of the Academie Francaise in 1946. L'Académie française, or the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language.
- Colette (Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette) (1873-1954), although she was not from Provence, became particularly attached to Saint-Tropez. Colette was the pen name of the French Novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette ( January 28 1873 &ndash August 3 San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language After World War II, she headed a committee which saw that the village, badly-damaged by the war, was restored to its original beauty and character
- Jean Giono (1895-1970), born in Manosque, wrote about peasant life in Provence, inspired by his imagination and by his vision of Ancient Greece. Jean Giono ( March 30, 1895 – October 8, 1970) was a French Author renowned for his works of fiction set in the Provence region of Manosque ( Provençal Occitan: Manòsca in classical norm or Manosco in Mistralian norm is the largest town and commune in the The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca
- Paul Arène (1843-1896), born in Sisteron, wrote about life and the countryside around his home town. Paul-Auguste Arène, born 26 June 1843 in Sisteron and died 17 December 1896 in Antibes, was a Provençal poet and French Sisteron ( Occitan: Sisteron in classical norm or Sisteroun in Mistralian norm a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Emigrés, Exiles and Expatriates
In the 19th and 20th century, the climate and lifestyle of Provence attracted writers almost as much as it attracted painters. It was particularly popular among British, American and Russian writers in the 1920s and 1930s,.
- Edith Wharton (1862-1937), bought Sainte-Claire le Château, a former convent, in the hills above Hyères, where she lived during the winters and springs and where she wrote The Age of Innocence (1920). Edith Wharton ( January 24 1862 &ndash August 11 1937) was an American Novelist, Short story Writer Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France
- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) and his wife Zelda first visited the Riviera in 1924, stopping at Hyères, Cannes and Monte Carlo, eventually staying at St. Raphaël, where he wrote much of The Great Gatsby and began Tender is the Night. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24 1896 – December 21 1940 was an American writer of Novels and Short stories, whose works are evocative of the Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Cannes (kan in Occitan Canas) is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Monte-Carlo ( Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco 's various administrative areas sometimes erroneously
- Ivan Bunin (1870-1953), the first Russian writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, went to France after the Russian Revolution, set several of his short stories on the Côte d'Azur, and had a house in Grasse. Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin ( Ива́н Алексе́евич Бу́нин) (— November 8, 1953) was the first Russian writer to win the The Nobel Prize in Literature (Nobelpriset i litteratur is awarded annually since 1901 to an author from any country who has in the words from the will of Alfred Grasse ( Provençal Occitan: Grassa in classical norm or Grasso in Mistralian norm is a town and Episcopal see in southeastern
- Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) bought a house, the Villa Mauresque, in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in 1928, and, except for the years of World War II, spent much of his time there until his death. William Somerset Maugham, CH ( January 25 1874 &ndash December 16 1965) was an English Playwright, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Other English-speaking writers who live in or have written about Provence include:
Music From or About Provence
Music written about Provence includes:
- The saxophone concerto Tableaux de Provence (Pictures of Provence) composed by Paule Maurice. Peter Mayle (born June 14, 1939 in Brighton) is a British author famous for his series of books detailing life in Provence, France Carol Drinkwater (born April 22 1948 in London) is a British Actress and Author, made famous by appearing in the televised John Henry Lanchester (born 25 February 1962) is a British Journalist and Novelist.
- Georges Bizet, 'L'Arlésienne'. Georges Bizet (25 October 1838 – 3 June 1875 was a French Composer and Pianist of the Romantic era
- Darius Milhaud, 'Suite Provençale'
Painters in Provence
Artists have been painting in Provence since prehistoric times; paintings of bisons, seals, penguins and horses dating to between 27,000 and 19,000 b. Darius Milhaud (darjys mijo (September 4 1892 &ndash June 22 1974 was a French Composer and teacher A triptych (pronounced "trip-tick" trip'tik (or US: 'tɹʷɪp Aix Cathedral ( Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix) in Aix-en-Provence in southern France is a Roman Catholic cathedral c. were found in the Cosquer Cave near Marseille. The Cosquer cave is located in the Calanque de Morgiou near Marseille, France, not very far from Cap Morgiou [18]
The 14th century wooden ceiling of the cloister of Fréjus Cathedral has a remarkable series of paintings of biblical scenes, fantastic animals, and scenes from daily life, painted between 1350 and 1360. Fréjus Cathedral ( Cathédrale Saint-Léonce de Fréjus) is a Roman Catholic cathedral and a national monument of France situated in the town of Fréjus They include paintings of a fallen angel with the wings of a bat, a demon with the tail of a serpent, angels playing instruments, a tiger, an elephant, an ostrich, domestic and wild animals, a mermaid, a dragon, a centaur, a butcher, a knight, and a juggler. [19]
Nicolas Froment (1435-1486) was the most important painter of Provence during the Renaissance, best known for his triptych of the Burning Bush,(around 1476) commissioned by King René I of Naples. Nicolas Froment (c 1435 in Uzès &ndash c 1486 in Avignon) was a French painter The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere René of Anjou ( January 16, 1409 &ndash July 10, 1480) also known as René I of Naples and Good King René ( French The painting shows the Announciation to the shepherds, with the Virgin Mary and Christ above the burning bush. The wings of the triptych show King Rene with Mary Magdalen, St. Anthony and St. Maurice on one side, and Queen Jeanne de Laval, with Saint Catherine, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Nicholas on the other. Saint Mary Magdalen or Mary Magdalene is described both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted Saint Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, or Mauritius) was the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century and one of the Saint John the Evangelist (d ca 110 יוחנן " The LORD is merciful" Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan, Tiberian Hebrew Saint Nicholas (Άγιος Νικόλαος, Agios Nikolaos, "victory of the people" is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a Christian Saint [20]
Louis Bréa (1450-1523) was a 15th century painter, born in Nice, whose work is found in churches from Genoa to Antibes. Ludovico (or Louis) Brea (c 1450 - c 1523 was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, active mainly in and near Genoa. His Retable of Saint-Nicholas (1500) is found in Monaco, and his Retable de Notre-Dame-de-Rosaire (1515) is found in Antibes. For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes
Pierre Paul Puget,(1620-1694),born in Marseille, was a painter of portraits and religious scenes, but was better known for his sculptures, found in Toulon Cathedral, outside the city hall of Toulon, and in the Louvre. Pierre Paul Puget ( October 31, 1620 - December 2, 1694) was a French painter, sculptor, Architect Toulon Cathedral ( Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Seds de Toulon or Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède de Toulon; also known as Sainte-Marie-Majeure) is a Roman The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France There is mountain named for him near Marseille, and a square in Toulon.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, many of the most famous painters in the world converged on Provence, drawn by the climate and the clarity of the light. The special quality of the light is partly a result of the Mistral wind, which removes dust from the atmosphere, greatly increasing visibility.
- Paul Cezanne (1839-1906), was born in Aix-en-Provence, and lived and worked there most of his life. Aix (ɛks or Aix-en-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Ais de Provença in classical norm or Ais de Prouvènço in Mistralian norm to distinguish The local landscapes, particularly Montagne Sainte-Victoire, featured often in his work. Montagne Sainte-Victoire (in Provençal Occitan: Venturi / Santa Venturi according to classical orthography, Ventùri / Santo Ventùri He also painted frequently at L'Estaque. L'Estaque is a small French fishing village just west of Marseille.
- Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890). Van Gogh lived little more than two years in Provence, but his fame is a painter is largely a result of what he painted there. He lived in Arles from February 1888 to May 1889, and then in Saint-Remy from May 1889 until May 1890. Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France,
- Auguste Renoir (1841-1919). Pierre-Auguste Renoir ( February 25, 1841 &ndash December 3, 1919) was a French Artist who was a leading painter in Renoir visited Beaulieu, Grasse, Saint Raphael and Cannes, before finally settling in Cagnes-sur-Mer in 1907, where he bought a farm in hills and built a new house and workshop on the grounds. Grasse ( Provençal Occitan: Grassa in classical norm or Grasso in Mistralian norm is a town and Episcopal see in southeastern Cannes (kan in Occitan Canas) is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Cagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern He continued to paint there until his death in 1919. His house is now a museum.
- Henri Matisse (1869-1954). Henri Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954 was a French Artist, known for his use of Colour and his fluid brilliant and original draughtsmanship Matisse first visited St. Tropez in 1904. San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language In 1917 he settled in Nice, first at the Hotel Beau Rivage, then the Hotel de la Mediterranee, then la Villa des Allies in Cimiez. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek In 1921 he lived in an apartment at 1 place Felix Faure in Nice, next to the flower market and overlooking the sea, where he lived until 1938. He then moved to the Hotel Regina in the hills of Cimiez, above Nice. During World War II he lived in Vence, then returned to Cimiez, where he died and is buried. Vence is a commune set in the hills of the Alpes Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern
- Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973 Picasso spent each summer from 1919 to 1939 on the Cote d'Azur, and moved there permanently in 1946, first at Vallauris, then at Mougins, where he spent his last years. Vallauris is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France Mougins is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
- Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947). Pierre Bonnard (3 October 1867 &ndash 23 January 1947 was a French painter and Printmaker, a founding member of Les Nabis. Bonnard retired to and died at Le Cannet. Le Cannet is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
- Georges Braque (1882-1963). Georges Braque ( May 13, 1882 &ndash August 31, 1963) was a major 20th century French painter and sculptor Braque painted frequently at L'Estaque between 1907 and 1910. L'Estaque is a small French fishing village just west of Marseille.
- Henri-Edmond Cross (1856-1910). Henri-Edmond Cross ( May 20, 1856 – May 16, 1910) was a French pointillist painter. Cross discovered the cote d'Azur in 1883 and painted at Monaco and Hyeres. For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France
- Maurice Denis (1870-1943. Maurice Denis ( November 25, 1870 &ndash November 1943 was a French painter and Writer, and a member of the Symbolist ) Denis painted at St. Tropez and Bandol. San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language Bandol is a French commune located on the coast in the Var department
- Andre Derain (1880-1954). André Derain ( June 10, 1880 – September 8, 1954) was a French painter and co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse Derain painted at L'Estaque and Martigues. L'Estaque is a small French fishing village just west of Marseille. Martigues ( Occitan: Lo Martegue in classical norm Lou Martegue in Mistralian norm is a commune in the southeastern part of France
- Raoul Dufy (1877-1953), whose wife was from Nice, painted in Marseille and Martigues. Raoul Dufy ( 3 June 1877 – 23 March 1953) was a French Fauvist painter Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ Martigues ( Occitan: Lo Martegue in classical norm Lou Martegue in Mistralian norm is a commune in the southeastern part of France
- Albert Marquet (1873-1947), painted at Marseille, St. Tropez and L'Estaque. Albert Marquet ( 27 March 1875 – 14 June 1947) was a French painter associated with the Fauvist movement Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language L'Estaque is a small French fishing village just west of Marseille.
- Claude Monet (1840-1927). Claude Monet ( French klod mɔnɛ also known as Oscar-Claude Monet or Claude Oscar Monet (14 November 1840 &ndash 5 December 1926 was a founder Monet visited Menton, Bordighera, Juan-les-Pins, Monte-Carlo, Nice, Cannes, Beaulieu and Villefranche,and painted a number of seascapes of Cap Martin, near Menton, and at Cap d'Antibes. Menton (mɑ̃tɔ̃ Occitan: Menton in classical norm or Mentan in Mistralian norm Italian: Mentone) is a commune Bordighera is a town and Comune the in the Province of Imperia, Liguria ( Italy) Juan-les-Pins is a town in the commune of Antibes, in the Alpes-Maritimes, in southeastern France, on the Côte d'Azur, which is part Monte-Carlo ( Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco 's various administrative areas sometimes erroneously Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Cannes (kan in Occitan Canas) is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Cape Martin, also known as Cap Martin, is a small town located on the French Riviera between Menton and Monaco. Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes
- Edvard Munch (1863-1944. Edvard Munch (mʉŋk December 12, 1863 – January 23, 1944) was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, Printmaker ) Munch visited and painted in Nice and Monte-Carlo (where he developed a passion for gambling), and rented a villa at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in 1891. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Monte-Carlo ( Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco 's various administrative areas sometimes erroneously Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
- Paul Signac (1863-1935). Paul Signac ( November 11, 1863 – August 15, 1935) was a French neo-impressionist painter who working with Signac visited St. Tropez in 1892, and bought a villa, La Hune, at the foot of citadel in 1897. San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language It was at his villa that his friend, Henri Matisse, painted his famous Luxe, Calme and Volupté" in 1904. Signac made numerous paintings along the coast.
Source and Bibliography about artists on the Mediterranean
- Méditerrranée de Courbet á Matisse, catalog of the exhibit at the Grand Palais, Paris from September 2000 to January 2001. Published by the Réunion des musées nationaux, 2000.
Provence and the History of Motion Pictures
Provence has a special place in the history of the motion picture - one of the first projected motion pictures, L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat (eng: the entry of a train into the station of Ciotat), a fifty-second silent film, was made by Auguste and Louis Lumière at the train station of the coastal town of La Ciotat. L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat ( The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station, Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (US La Ciotat is a city in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France It was shown to an audience in Paris on December 28, 1895, caused a sensation, and the following year was the first film ever shown to a paid audience. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year [21]
Provençal cuisine
The cuisine of Provence is the result of the warm, dry Mediterranean climate; the rugged landscape, good for grazing sheep and goats but, outside of the Rhone Valley, with poor soil for large-scale agriculture; and the abundant seafood on the coast. The basic ingredients are olives and olive oil; garlic; sardines, rockfish, sea urchins and octopus; lamb and goat; chickpeas; local fruits, such as grapes, peaches, apricots, strawberries, cherries, and the famous melons of Cavaillon. The Olive is the Fruit of the Olive tree (Olea europaea and is a major component of the Agriculture and Gastronomy of many countries Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive ( Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with Lilacs Jasmine and ash trees Allium sativum L, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the Onion family Alliaceae. For the hide and seek-like game see Hide and seek. Sardines, or pilchards, are a group of several types of small Oily Sea urchins are small globular spiny sea cat animals composing most of class Echinoidea. The The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe The chickpea ( Cicer arietinum) (also garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, bengal gram, chana, kadale kaalu, For the Tokyo University supercomputer see Gravity Pipe. GRAPE, or GRA phics P rogramming E nvironment is The Apricot ( Prunus armeniaca, "Armenian plum" in Latin syn Garden strawberries are a common variety of strawberry cultivated worldwide This article is about the Cherry berry also classified as fruit for the ornamental tree See Cherry Blossom. Melon is a term used for various members of the Cucurbitaceae family with fleshy fruit Cavaillon is a commune of the Vaucluse département, in southern France.
The fish frequently found on menus in Provence are the rouget, a small red fish usually eaten grilled, and the loup, (known elsewhere in France as the bar), often grilled with fennel over the wood of grapevines (fr. sarments de vigne).
- Bouillabaisse is the classic seafood dish of Marseille. Bouillabaisse ( Occitan: bolhabaissa) is a traditional Provençal fish Stew originating from the port city of Marseille. The traditional version is made with three fish: rascasse (eng: scorpionfish), grondin (eng: sea robin), and congre (eng: European conger), plus an assortment of other fish and shellfish, such as saint-pierre (eng: John Dory); lotte (eng: monkfish); ursins (eng: sea urchins); crabs and sea spiders included for flavor. The scorpionfish are a family ( Scorpaenidae) of mostly marine Fish that includes many of the world's most venomous species Sea robins are bottom-feeding Scorpaeniform Fishes in the family Triglidae. The European conger, Conger conger, is a Conger of the family Congridae, found in the eastern Atlantic from Norway John Dory, also known as St Pierre refers to fish of the genus Zeus, especially Zeus faber, of widespread distribution Monkfish is the English name of a number of types of fish in the northwest Atlantic most notably the species of the anglerfish genus Lophius and the angelshark Sea urchins are small globular spiny sea cat animals composing most of class Echinoidea. Crabs are decapod Crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (βραχύ / brachy Sea spiders, also called Pantopoda or pycnogonids ('pycnogonid' = Greek for 'thick knee' are marine Arthropods of class Pycnogonida The seasoning is as important as the fish, including salt, pepper, onion, tomato, safron, fennel, sage, thyme, laurel, sometimes orange peel, and a cup of white wine or cognac. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants Organicsalsajpg||thumb|right|Onions used in salsa.]]Cooked onions in frying pan The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum, syn Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a herbaceous usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family Saffron ( Kurdish/Persian زَعْفَرَان is a Spice derived from the dried Stigma of the Flower of the saffron crocus ( Crocus sativus Fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare) is a Plant Species in the Genus Foeniculum (treated as the sole species in the genus by Thyme (ˈtaɪm is a well known herb in common usage the name may refer to either the any or all members of the plant Genus Thymus, Cognac is a commune in the French département of Charente, of which it is a sub-prefecture. In Marseille the fish and the broth are served separately- the broth is served over thick slices of bread with rouille (see below. Rouille ( French, ' Rust ' is a Sauce that consists of Olive oil with Breadcrumbs Garlic, Saffron and Chili ) [22]
- Escabeche is another popular seafood dish; the fish (usually sardines) are either poached or fried after being marinated overnight in vinegar or citrus juice. Escabeche (of Spanish origin or from Persian sikbag; "acid food" refers to both a dish of poached or fried Fish, and not only fish
- An oursinade is the name of a sauce based on the coal of the sea urchin, and usually is used with fish, and also refers to a tasting of sea urchins. Sea urchins are small globular spiny sea cat animals composing most of class Echinoidea.
- Brandade de Morue is a thick cream made of cod crushed and mixed with olive oil, milk, garlic and sometimes truffles.
- Rouille is a mayonnaise with red pimentos, often spread onto bread and added to fish soups. Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper,"Kurundu" Myrtle pepper, pimento, or newspice, is a Spice which is the dried unripe
- Ratatouille is a traditional dish of stewed vegetables, which originated in Nice. Ratatouille (ˌrætəˈtuːiː/ /-ˈtwiː French pronunciation ʁatatuj is a traditional French Provençal Stewed Vegetable dish Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek [23].
- Aïoli is a thick mayonnaise made from olive oil flavored with crushed garlic. Aioli ( Provençal Occitan alhòli, Catalan allioli) is a sauce made of Garlic and Olive oil. Mayonnaise (sometime abbreviated to mayo in American English and other languages is a thick Condiment made primarily from Vegetable oil and Egg It often accompanies a bourride, a fish soup, or is served with potatoes and cod (fr. Morue). There are as many recipes as there are families in Provence.
- Soupe au pistou, either cold or hot, usually made with fresh basil ground and mixed with olive oil, along with summer vegetables, such as white beans, green beans, tomatoes, summer squash, and potatoes. Basil ( Ocimum basilicum) (ˈbeɪzəl or /ˈbæzəl/ of the Family Lamiaceae. [24]
- Tapenade is a relish consisting of pureed or finely chopped olives, capers, and olive oil, usually spread onto bread and served as an hors d’œuvre. Tapenade is a Provençal dish consisting of puréed or finely chopped olives Capers anchovies and Olive oil.
- Daube provençale is a stew made with cubed beef braised in wine, vegetables, garlic, and herbes de provence. Daube is a classic French Stew made with cubed Beef braised in Wine, Vegetables Garlic, and Herbes de provence A stew is a combination of Solid Food Ingredients that have been Cooked in Water or other water-based liquid typically by Simmering Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows Braised_Baby_Artichokesjpg#file|thumb|right|100px|Braised baby artichokes]] Braising (from the French “braiser” is a combination cooking method using both moist and Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Allium sativum L, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the Onion family Alliaceae. Herbes de Provence (Provençal herbs are a mixture of dried Herbs from Provence invented in the 1970s Variations also call for olives, prunes, and flavoring with duck fat, vinegar, brandy, lavender, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, juniper berries, or orange peel. The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern A prune is any of various of various Plum species mostly Prunus domesticus or European Plum (commonly referred to as a Sugar Plum For duck as a food see Duck (food; for other meanings see Duck (disambiguation. Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the Fermentation of Ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient Acetic acid (also called ethanoic acid Brandy (from brandywine, derived from Dutch brandewijn — “burnt wine” is a spirit produced by distilling Wine The Lavenders Lavandula are a Genus of about 25–30 species of Flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean The nutmegs Myristica are a Genus of Evergreen Trees indigenous to tropical southeast Asia and Australasia Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum, synonym C zeylanicum) is a small Evergreen Tree 10–15 metres (32 This article is about the Spice; for other meanings see Clove (disambiguation. A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of Junipers It is not a true Berry but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged An orange —specifically the sweet orange —is the Citrus fruit Citrus sinensis ( syn For best flavor, it is cooked in several stages, and cooled for a day between each stage to allow the flavors to meld together. In the Camargue area of France, bulls killed in the bull-fighting festivals are sometimes used for daube. The Camargue ( Occitan: Camarga in classical norm or Camargo in Mistralian norm is located south of Arles, France, between the Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Bullfighting or Tauromachy (from Greek ταυρομαχία - tauromachia, "bull-fight" is a traditional spectacle of Spain A festival is an event usually and ordinarily staged by a local community which centers on some unique aspect of that community
- Fougasse is the traditional bread of Provence, round and flat with holes cut out by the baker. Modern versions are baked with olives or nuts inside.
- La pissaladière is another speciality of Nice. Though it resembles a pizza, it is made with bread dough and the traditional variety never has a tomato topping. It is usually sold in bakeries, and is topped with a bed of onions, lightly browned, and a kind of paste, called pissalat, made from sardines and anchovies, and the small black olives of Nice, called caillettes. [25]
- Socca is a speciality of Nice- it is a round flat cake made of chickpea flour and olive oil, like the Italian farinata. Socca is a specialty of southeastern French cuisine particularly in and around the city of Nice. It is baked in the oven in a large pan more than a meter in diameter, then seasoned with pepper and eaten with the fingers while hot. In Toulon socca is known as La Cade. [1]
- The Calisson is the traditional cookie of Aix-en-Provence, made from a base of almond paste flavored with confit of melon and orange. Calissons are a traditional French Candy consisting of a smooth pale yellow homogeneous paste of candied fruit (especially melons and oranges and ground almonds Almond meal or almond flour is made from ground sweet Almonds Almond flour is usually made with blanched almonds (no skin whereas almond meal can be made Confit ( French) is a generic term for various kinds of food that have been immersed in a substance for both flavor and preservation Melon is a term used for various members of the Cucurbitaceae family with fleshy fruit An orange —specifically the sweet orange —is the Citrus fruit Citrus sinensis ( syn They have been made in Aix-en-Provence since the 17th century.
- The tarte Tropezienne is a tart of pastry cream (crème pâtissière) invented by a St. Tropez pastry chef named Alexandre Micka in the 1950s, based on a recipe he brought from his native Poland. In 1955, he was chef on the set of the film And God Created Women when actress Brigitte Bardot suggested he name the cake La Tropezienne. Brigitte Bardot ( (born 28 September 1934 is a French actress, former fashion model, Singer and animal welfare/rights activist It is now found in bakeries throughout the Var. [2]
- The gâteau des Rois is a type of Epiphany cake found all over France; the Provençal version is different because it is made of brioche in a ring, flavored with the essence of orange flowers and covered with sugar and fruit confit. Brioche ( Pronunciation, in French; English Received Pronunciation chiefly; American English) is a highly enriched
- The Thirteen desserts is a Christmas tradition in Provence, when thirteen different dishes, representing Jesus and the twelve apostles, and each with a different significance, are served after the large Christmas meal. The thirteen desserts are the traditional Dessert foods used in celebrating Christmas in the French region of Provence.
Wines of Provence
The wines of Provence were probably introduced into Provence around 600 B. C. by the Greek Phoceans who founded Marseille and Nice. This article is about the ancient city For the modern city see Foça Phocaea, or Phokaia, (Φώκαια (modern-day Foça After the Roman occupation, in 120 B. C. the Roman Senate forbid the growing of vines and olives in Provence, in order to protect the profitable trade in exporting Italian wines, but in the late Roman empire retired soldiers from Roman Legions settled in Province and were allowed to grow grapes. The Roman Senate was a political institution in Ancient Rome. For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," [26]
The Romans complained about the competition from and poor quality of the wines of Provence. In the First Century A. D. the Roman poet Martial, condemned the wines of Marseille as "terrible poisons, and never sold at a good price. Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial) (March 1 40 AD - ca "[27].
As recently as the 1970s the wines of Provence had the reputation of being rather ordinary: In 1971 wine critic Hugh Johnson wrote: "The whites are dry and can lack the acidity to be refreshing; the reds are straightforward, strong and a trifle dull; it is usually the rosés, often orange-tinted, which have most appeal. Hugh Johnson may refer to Hugh Johnson (cinematographer Hugh Johnson (wine writer Hugh Samuel Johnson, American " He added, "Cassis and Bandol distinguish themselves for their white and red wines respectively. Cassis (no relation of the blackcurrant syrup) is livelier than the run of Provencal white wine, and Bandol leads the red in much the same way. " [28]
Since that time, cultivation of poorer varieties has been reduced and new technologies and methods have improved the quality considerably.
The wines of Provence are grown under demanding conditions; hot weather and abundant sunshine (Toulon, near Bandol, has the most sunshine of any city in France) which ripens the grapes quickly; little rain, and the Mistral Wind. Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large Bandol is a French commune located on the coast in the Var department
The great majority of the wines produced in Provence are rosés. The most characteristic grape is mourvèdre, used most famously in the red wines of Bandol. Mourvèdre, is a variety of red Wine Grape grown around the world Cassis is the only area in Provence known for its white wines.
There are three regional classifications (Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC)) in Provence:
- AOC Côtes de Provence. Appellation d’origine contrôlée ( AOC) which translates as "controlled term of origin" is the French certification granted to certain French This AOC classification dates to 1997, though these wines were recognized in the 17th and 18th century, notably by Madame de Sévigné, who reported the habits and preferred wines of the Court of Louis XIV. Marie de Rabutin-Chantal Marquise de Sévigné ( February 5, 1626 &ndash April 17, 1696) was a French aristocrat Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent The title Côtes de Provence was already in use in 1848, but production was nearly destroyed by phylloxera later in that century, and took decades to recover. This article is about the grape phylloxera For the Genus, see Phylloxera (genus. The appellation today covers 84 communes in the Var and Bouches-du-Rhône departments, and one in Alpes-Maritimes. Bouches-du-Rhône ( Occitan: Bocas de Ròse, lit "Mouths of the Rhône River" is a department in the south of France named after the Alpes-Maritimes ( Occitan: Aups Maritims) is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France. The principal grapes used in the red wines are the grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, tibouren and syrah. Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) (in Spanish, Garnacha, in Catalan, Garnatxa) is probably the most widely planted variety of red wine Mourvèdre, is a variety of red Wine Grape grown around the world Cinsaut or Cinsault (pronounced "san-so" is a red Wine Grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon Tibouren is a red Wine Grape that is primarily grown in Provence but originated in Greece. Syrah is a dark-skinned variety of Grape used in Wine. Syrah is grown in many countries and is primarily used to produce powerful Red wines which enjoy For the white wines, clairette,vermentino, sémillon, and ugni blanc. Vermentino is a late-ripening white grape originating in Spain or Madeira, or perhaps Portugal, and now widely planted in Corsica, Sardinia Sémillon is a golden-skinned Grape used to make dry and sweet white Wines most notably in France and Australia. Trebbiano is a Grape variety that probably makes more white wine in the world than any other
The appellation covers 20,300 hectares. 80 percent of the production is rosé wine, fifteen percent is red wine, and 5 percent white wine.
- AOC Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence was classified as an AOC in 1985. The wines of Aix were originally planted by veterans of the Roman legions in the first century B. C. , and were promoted in the 15th Century byRené I of Naples, the last ruler of Provence. René of Anjou ( January 16, 1409 &ndash July 10, 1480) also known as René I of Naples and Good King René ( French Most vineyards were destroyed by phylloxera in the 19th century, and very slowly were reconstituted. The principal grapes for the red wines and rosés are the grenache; mourvèdre; cinsault syrah; counoise; carignan; and cabernet sauvignon. Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) (in Spanish, Garnacha, in Catalan, Garnatxa) is probably the most widely planted variety of red wine Mourvèdre, is a variety of red Wine Grape grown around the world Cinsaut or Cinsault (pronounced "san-so" is a red Wine Grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon Syrah is a dark-skinned variety of Grape used in Wine. Syrah is grown in many countries and is primarily used to produce powerful Red wines which enjoy Aubun is a red Wine Grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley. Carignan is a red Wine grape that originated in Cariñena Aragon and was later transplanted to Sardinia, elsewhere in Italy, France Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red Wine grape varieties. White wines are made mainly with bourboulenc; clairette; grenache blanc and vermentino. Bourboulenc is a white Wine Grape variety primarily grown in southern France. Grenache blanc is a variety of white Wine Grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. Vermentino is a late-ripening white grape originating in Spain or Madeira, or perhaps Portugal, and now widely planted in Corsica, Sardinia There are 4000 hectares in production. 70 percent of the wines are rosés, 25 percent red wines, and 5 percent white wines.
- AOC Coteaux varois en Provence is a recent AOC in Provence. The name Coteaux Varois was first used in 1945, and became an AOC in 1993. the name was changed to Couteaux Varois en Provence in 2005. The red wines principally use the grenache, cinsaut, mourvèdre and syrah grapes. Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) (in Spanish, Garnacha, in Catalan, Garnatxa) is probably the most widely planted variety of red wine Cinsaut or Cinsault (pronounced "san-so" is a red Wine Grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon Mourvèdre, is a variety of red Wine Grape grown around the world Syrah is a dark-skinned variety of Grape used in Wine. Syrah is grown in many countries and is primarily used to produce powerful Red wines which enjoy White wines use the clairette,grenache blanc, rolle blanc, Sémillon Blanc, and Ugni Blanc. Grenache blanc is a variety of white Wine Grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. There are 2200 hectares in this AOL. It produces 80 percent rosés, 17 percent red wines, and 3 percent white wines.
In addition, there are five local classifications: (Les appellations locales):
- *Bandol AOC, grown in the Var on the coast west of Toulon, mostly around the villages of La Cadiere d'Azur and Castellet. Provence (Provençal wine comes from the French wine -producing region of Provence in southeast France. Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large Castellet is a commune of the Vaucluse département in southern France. Wines of this appellation must have at least fifty percent Mourvèdre grapes, though most have considerably more. Mourvèdre, is a variety of red Wine Grape grown around the world Other grapes used are Grenache, Cinsault Syrah and Carignan. Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) (in Spanish, Garnacha, in Catalan, Garnatxa) is probably the most widely planted variety of red wine Cinsaut or Cinsault (pronounced "san-so" is a red Wine Grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon Syrah is a dark-skinned variety of Grape used in Wine. Syrah is grown in many countries and is primarily used to produce powerful Red wines which enjoy Carignan is a red Wine grape that originated in Cariñena Aragon and was later transplanted to Sardinia, elsewhere in Italy, France
- AOC Cassis , made near the coastal town of Cassis, between Toulon and Marseille, was the first wine in Provence to be classified as an AOC in 1936, and is best known for its white wines. Provence (Provençal wine comes from the French wine -producing region of Provence in southeast France. Cassis (kasis is a commune situated east of Marseille in the administrative department of the Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte Wines from Cassis are described in French literature as early as the 12th century. The grapes most commonly used are the Marsanne, the Clairette, the Ugni blanc, the le Sauvignon blanc and the Bourboulenc. Marsanne is a white Wine Grape, most commonly found in the northern Rhône, where it is often blended with Roussanne. Trebbiano is a Grape variety that probably makes more white wine in the world than any other Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned Grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. Bourboulenc is a white Wine Grape variety primarily grown in southern France. Rosé wines use the Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre. Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) (in Spanish, Garnacha, in Catalan, Garnatxa) is probably the most widely planted variety of red wine Carignan is a red Wine grape that originated in Cariñena Aragon and was later transplanted to Sardinia, elsewhere in Italy, France Mourvèdre, is a variety of red Wine Grape grown around the world
- AOC Bellet; at the time of the French Revolution, the little town of Saint Roman de Bellet near Nice was the center of an important wine region. Provence (Provençal wine comes from the French wine -producing region of Provence in southeast France. Production was nearly destroyed by the phylloxera and by the two wars, and only in 1946 was the region again producing fully. This article is about the grape phylloxera For the Genus, see Phylloxera (genus. It was classified as an AOC in 1941. Today the region is one of the smallest in France; just 47 hectares. The grapes are grown on terraces along the left bank of the Var River, east of the town. The major grapes grown for red wines and rosés are the braquet, Folle, and Cinsault,blended sometimes with grenache. Braquet (French or Brachetto (Italian is a Grape variety found in Piedmont ( Italy) and in Provence ( France) which is Fuella is a red Wine Grape that is grown primarily in the Bellet region near Nice. Cinsaut or Cinsault (pronounced "san-so" is a red Wine Grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) (in Spanish, Garnacha, in Catalan, Garnatxa) is probably the most widely planted variety of red wine For white wines, the major grapes grown are rolle blanc, roussane, spagnol and mayorquin; the secondary grapes are clairette,bourboulenc, chardonnay, pignerol, and muscat. Roussanne is a white Wine Grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne Bourboulenc is a white Wine Grape variety primarily grown in southern France. Chardonnay is a green-skinned Grape variety used to make white Wine. Pinerolo is a Town and commune in north-western Italy, 40 kilometres southwest of Turin on the river Chisone.
- AOC Palette; the little village of Pallete, four kilometers east of Aix-en-Provence, has long been famous for the production of a vin cuit, or fortified wine, used in the traditional Provence Christmas dessert, the Thirteen desserts, and the Christmas cake called pompo à l’oli,, or the olive-oil pump. Aix (ɛks or Aix-en-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Ais de Provença in classical norm or Ais de Prouvènço in Mistralian norm to distinguish Fortified wine is Wine to which alcohol (usually Brandy) has been added The thirteen desserts are the traditional Dessert foods used in celebrating Christmas in the French region of Provence. This production was nearly abandoned, but is now being recreated. The main grapes for red wine are grenache and mourvèdre and cinsaut; for the white wines clairette. Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) (in Spanish, Garnacha, in Catalan, Garnatxa) is probably the most widely planted variety of red wine Mourvèdre, is a variety of red Wine Grape grown around the world Cinsaut or Cinsault (pronounced "san-so" is a red Wine Grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon
- AOC Les Baux de Provence; was established as a AOC for red and rosé wines in 1995. Les Baux-de-Provence is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France, in the province of Provence
South of Avignon, it occupies the north and south slopes of the Alpilles, up to an altitude of 400 meters, and extends about thirty kilometers from east to west. Avignon (/aviɲɔ̃/ in French) ( Provençal: Avinhon in classical norm or Avignoun in Mistralian norm is a commune The Chaîne des Alpilles is a small range of mountains in Provence, southern France, located about 20 km (12 miles south of Avignon at The principal grapes for the red wines are the grenache mourvèdre, and syrah. Grenache (pronounced gren-ash) (in Spanish, Garnacha, in Catalan, Garnatxa) is probably the most widely planted variety of red wine Mourvèdre, is a variety of red Wine Grape grown around the world Syrah is a dark-skinned variety of Grape used in Wine. Syrah is grown in many countries and is primarily used to produce powerful Red wines which enjoy For the rosés, the main grapes are the syrah and cinsault.
For more see Provence wine
Pastis
Pastis is the traditional liqueur of Provence, flavored with anise and typically containing 40–45% alcohol by volume. Provence (Provençal wine comes from the French wine -producing region of Provence in southeast France. Pastis ( or /pæsˈtɪs/ is an Anise -flavored Liqueur and Apéritif from France, typically containing 40–45% Alcohol by volume, '''Anise''' or Aniseed, less commonly anís (stressed on the second syllable ( Pimpinella anisum) is a Flowering plant in the family Apiaceae Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as abv or ABV) is a standard measure of how much alcohol ( Ethanol) is contained in an Alcoholic beverage When absinthe was banned in France in 1915, the major absinthe producers (then Pernod Fils and Ricard, who have since merged as Pernod Ricard) reformulated their drink without the banned wormwood and with more aniseed flavor, coming from star anise, sugar and a lower alcohol content, creating pastis. Absinthe is traditionally a distilled, highly alcoholic (45%-75% ABV) beverage Pernod Fils (pɛʁnoˈfis was the most popular brand of Absinthe prior to 1915 the year absinthe was banned throughout most of Europe. Pernod Ricard ( is a French company that produces Alcoholic beverages The company's most famous products Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are Artemisia absinthium ( absinthium, absinthe wormwood, wormwood or grand wormwood) is a species of wormwood, native ( See also Illicium floridanum which is known as Chakra Phool (Badian in India and Star anise in the Eastern USA It is usually drunk diluted with water, which it turns a cloudy color. It is especially popular in and around Marseille.
Pétanque or boules
Pétanque, a form of boules, is a popular sport played in towns and villages all over Provence. Pétanque (petɑ̃ːk in French is a form of Boules where the goal is while standing with the feet together in a small circle to throw metal balls as close as possible Boules (French bul is a collective name for games played with metal balls The origins of the game are said to be ancient, going back to the Egyptians, ancient Greeks, and Ancient Romans, who are said to have introduced it to Provence. This is a list of topics related to ancient Rome that aims to include aspects of both the ancient Roman Republic and Roman Empire. The sport was very popular during the Middle Ages throughout Europe, known as bowls or lawn bowling in England, and as boules in France. Bowls (also known as Lawn Bowls or Lawn Bowling) is a precision Sport in which the goal is to roll slightly radially asymmetrical Balls Bowls (also known as Lawn Bowls or Lawn Bowling) is a precision Sport in which the goal is to roll slightly radially asymmetrical Balls Boules (French bul is a collective name for games played with metal balls
A more athletic version of the sport called jeu provençal was popular throughout Provence in the 19th century - this version is featured in the novels and memoires of Marcel Pagnol; players ran three steps before throwing the ball, and it resembled at times a form of ballet. The modern version of the game was created in 1907 at the town of La Ciotat by a former champion of jeu provençal named Jules Hugues, who was unable to play because of his rheumatism. La Ciotat is a city in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France He devised a new set of rules where the field was much smaller, and players did not run before throwing the ball, but remained inside a small circle with their feet together. This gave the game its name, les ped tanco, in the Provencal dialect of occitan, 'feet together. Provençal ( Provençau) is one of several dialects of Occitan spoken by a minority of people mostly in Provence (in southern France Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan ' The first tournament was played in La Ciotat in 1910. The first steel boules were introduced in 1927.
The object is to throw a ball (boule) as close as possible to a smaller ball, called the cochonette, (this kind of throw is called to faire le point or pointer); or to knock away a boules of the opponent that is close to the cochonette (this is called to tirer). Players compete one-on-one (tête-à-tête), in teams of two (doublettes) or teams of three (triplettes). The object is to accumulate thirteen points. The point belongs to the ball the closest to the cochonette. A player pitches balls until he can regain the point (reprenne le point) by having his ball closet to the cochonette. Each ball from a single team, if there are no other balls from the other team closer to the cochonette, counts as a point. The points are counted when all of the balls have been tossed by both teams. [29].
Sources and references
- ^ Aldo Bastié, Histoire de la Provence, Editions Ouest-France, 2001
- ^ Aldo Bastié, pg. 9
- ^ Bastié, Histoire de la Provence, pg. 9
- ^ Aldo Bastié, Histoire de la Provence, (pg. 13. )
- ^ Histoire de la Provence, pg. 16
- ^ Bastiė, Histoire de la Provence, pg. 20.
- ^ Bastié, Histoire de la Provence, (pg. 35)
- ^ Bastié, Histoire de la Provence, (pg. 35)
- ^ See Mediterranean climate. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide
- ^ source : infoclimat.fr précipitations à Marseille
- ^ source: infoclimat.fr precipitations a Toulon.
- ^ Météo-France. site
- ^ Infoclimat - Météo en temps réel - observations previsions climatologie forum
- ^ Infoclimat - Météo en temps réel - observations previsions climatologie forum
- ^ source : infoclimat.fr précipitations à Orange
- ^ from the article "Provence" in the French-language Wikipedia.
- ^ Atlantic Brief Lives, A Biographical Companion to the Arts, pg. 204, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1971.
- ^ Aldo Bastié, Histoire de la Provence, Editions Ouest-France, 2001.
- ^ Fixot, Michel, and Sauze, Elisabeth, 2004: La cathédrale Saint-Léonce et le groupe épiscopale de Fréjus. Monum, Éditions du patrimoine.
- ^ The cult of Mary Magdalen was very important in medieval Provence; What was believed to be her sarcophagus had been found in a Gallo-Roman crypt in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume in 1279, and the construction of a large church, the Basilica Sainte Marie-Madeleine, was begun on the spot in 1295. Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume is a commune of southeastern France, 40 km east of Aix-en-Provence, in the westernmost point of Var département
- ^ *Complete film on YouTube
- ^ See the Michelin Guide Vert, Côte d'Azur, pg. YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees 31 (in French), for this classic version. There are countless others.
- ^ Ratatouille. Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd edition.
- ^ [http://kitchen-notebook.blogspot.com/2006/04/lail-est-arriv-soupe-au-pistou.html Lucy's Kitchen Notebook. L'Ail est Arrivé! - Soupe au Pistou
- ^ Link to the traditional recipe for pissaladiëre(in French)
- ^ Cicero, Book III Chapter 9 of De Republica, quoted in Histore sociale et culturelle du Vin, Gilbert Garrier, Larousse, 1998.
- ^ Martial, Epigrams X-36, cited by Garrier, op. cit.
- ^ Hugh Johnson, The World Atlas of Wine, Mitchell Beazley Publishers, 1971
- ^ Marco Foyot, Alain Dupuy, Louis Dalmas, Pétanque - Technique,Tactique, Entrainement Robert Laffont, Paris 1984. This seems to be the definitive book on the subject, co-written by pétanque champion Marco Foyot.
Bibliography
- Aldo Bastié, Histoire de la Provence, Editions Ouest-France, 2001.
- Michel Vergé-Franceschi, Toulon - Port Royal (1481-1789). Tallandier: Paris, 2002.
- Cyrille Roumagnac, L'Arsenal de Toulon et la Royale, Editions Alan Sutton, 2001
- Jim Ring, Riviera, The Rise and Fall of the Côte d'Azur, John Murray Publishers, London 2004
- Marco Foyot, Alain Dupuy, Louis Dalmas, Pétanque - Technique, Tactique, Entrainement, Robert Laffont, Paris, 1984.
- Denizeau, Gerard, Histoire Visuelle des Monuments de France, Larousse, 2003
- LeMoine, Bertrand, Guide d'architecture, France, 20e siecle, Picard, Paris 2000
- Jean-Louis André, Jean-François Mallet, Jean daniel Sudres, Cuisines des pays de France, Éditions du Chêne, Hachette Livre, Paris 2001
- Prosper Mérimée, Notes de voyages, ed. Pierre-Marie Auzas (1971)
- Martin Garrett, 'Provence: a Cultural History' (2006)
- James Pope-Hennessy, Aspects of Provence (1988)
- Laura Raison (ed. ), The South of France: an Anthology (1985)
See also
- Architecture of Provence
- Aix-en-Provence
- Bastide (Provencal Manor)
- Bouillabaisse
- Bullfighting
- Forcalquier
- Nice
- French Riviera
- Herbes de Provence
- List of rulers of Provence
- Mas (Provencal Farmhouse)
- Mistral (wind)
- Pastis
- Pétanque
- Provence wine
- Provençal literature
- Ratatouille
- Saintes Maries de la Mer
- Saint Sarah
- Sisteron
- Santon (figurine)
- Toulon
- Winds of Provence
External links
- Free pictures of Provence
- Official PACA Tourist Board Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur Tourist Board
- Areas of Provence Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office
- Art in Provence Contemporary artists of the region Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur show their work. The Architecture of Provence includes a rich collection of monuments from the Roman Empire; Cistercian monasteries from the Romanesque Period Medieval Aix (ɛks or Aix-en-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Ais de Provença in classical norm or Ais de Prouvènço in Mistralian norm to distinguish A Bastide is a local name for a manor house in Provence, in the south of France, located in the countryside or in a village and originally occupied by a wealthy Bouillabaisse ( Occitan: bolhabaissa) is a traditional Provençal fish Stew originating from the port city of Marseille. Bullfighting or Tauromachy (from Greek ταυρομαχία - tauromachia, "bull-fight" is a traditional spectacle of Spain Forcalquier is a commune of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek The French Riviera (Côte d'Azur Occitan: Còsta Azzura) is one of the most famous resort areas in the world extending along the Mediterranean Sea west Herbes de Provence (Provençal herbs are a mixture of dried Herbs from Provence invented in the 1970s The land of Provence has a history quite separate from that of any of the larger nations of Europe. A Mas (pronounced 'mah' is a traditional farmhouse in the Provence region of France. The Mistral in France is a fresh or cold often violent and usually dry Wind, blowing throughout the year but is most frequent in winter and spring Pastis ( or /pæsˈtɪs/ is an Anise -flavored Liqueur and Apéritif from France, typically containing 40–45% Alcohol by volume, Pétanque (petɑ̃ːk in French is a form of Boules where the goal is while standing with the feet together in a small circle to throw metal balls as close as possible Provence (Provençal wine comes from the French wine -producing region of Provence in southeast France. Occitan literature — still sometimes called Provençal literature — is a body of texts written in Occitan in what is nowadays the South of France Ratatouille (ˌrætəˈtuːiː/ /-ˈtwiː French pronunciation ʁatatuj is a traditional French Provençal Stewed Vegetable dish Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (lit "Saint Marys of the Sea" Provençal Occitan Lei Santei Marias de la Mar) is the capital of the Saint Sarah, also known as Sara-la-Kali ("Sara the black" Sara e Kali is the mythic Patron saint of the Roma (Gypsy people Sisteron ( Occitan: Sisteron in classical norm or Sisteroun in Mistralian norm a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence A santon is a small hand-painted figurine cast in Terracotta or a similar material that is used for building Nativity scenes Santons are a traditional product Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large The Winds of Provence, the region of southeast France along the Mediterranean from the Alps to the mouth of the Rhone River are an important
- Provence photos
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