|
Insert non-formatted text hereProvence is a former province and is now a region of southeastern France, located
on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to France's border with
Italy. It is now part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur. The traditional region of Provence encompasses the départements of Var, Vaucluse, and Bouches-du-Rhône in addition to parts of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes.
History
Provence has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It was known in ancient times as part of Narbonensis, inhabited by Ligurians and later Celts. The coastal strip was
settled by Greeks and Phoenicians
from around 600 BC onwards, with Marseille becoming one of the great trading cities of the Mediterranean. It was progressively settled by the
Romans from the 2nd century
BC, eventually becoming a province of the Roman Empire. This gave it its name, from the Latin provincia, as Provence was one of the first and most romanised provinces of the Roman
Empire.
Christianity arrived in Provence very early and the region was already
extensively Christianised by the 3rd century AD, with numerous monasteries
and churches being constructed. Provence fared badly in the aftermath of the fall of the Roman Empire, suffering repeated
invasions: Visigoths in the 5th
century, Franks in the 6th
century and Arabs in the 8th
century, as well as repeated raids by Berber pirates and slavers.
From 1032 to 1246 the county was part of the
Holy Roman Empire. It became a fief of the French Crown from 1246,
under the rule of the Angevin dynasty. It was definitively incorporated into the
French royal domain in 1486 after the of Charles of Maine. Significant
enclaves existed within Provence for many years afterwards: Orange remained under the control of the House of Orange-Nassau until 1672; the Comtat Venaissin, centred on Avignon, was under Papal rule until 1791; and Nice and Menton were not added to Provence until as late as 1860.
The now-extinct title of Count of Provence belonged to local
families of Frankish origin, to the House of Barcelona, to the House of Anjou and to a
cadet branch of the House of Valois.
Geography
Provence is bounded by the Alps to the east and the Rhône River to the west, with the Mediterranean
Sea providing its southern border. It has an unusually varied physical aspect, with landscapes ranging from fertile plains in
the Rhône valley, to mountains in the east (notably Mont Ventoux, the
Luberon and the Alpilles) and marshlands in the south (the Camargue).
The Principality of Monaco is nestled between Nice and Italy. Marseille and Avignon are other cities of note in Provence.
Climate
The climate of Provence is typically Mediterranean, warm and dry. The
Mistral is a wind that occurs mostly in the
winter and spring .
Sights
Many remains from the Roman times can be seen in Provence, including:
Culture
Provence is noted for its cuisine, some of its wines, and its perfumes. The major perfume-making region of Grasse is located near Nice.
Much rosé wine is produced under the
Côtes de
Provence appellation,
using some of the typical grapes of southern France, Grenache, Syrah, Carignan,
and Cinsault. It is often at its best young.
Provençal is the adjective used to describe things originating from
this region, as well as being the name of the local Romance
language. Provençal is a dialect of Occitan, and is not mutually intelligible with either Parisian French or standard Italian. Instead,
it is part of the Romance languages' dialect continuum that
stretches from Italy to Portugal.
Authors who have written about Provence include:
Painters of Provencal scenes and landscapes include:
See also
|