Information AboutProvence |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PROVENCE | |
| provenceprovence | |
| former provinces of france | |
| provence-alpes-côte dazur | |
|
Provence ( and now is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative '' Région '' of Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur . The traditional region of Provence comprises the '' Département s'' of Var , Vaucluse , and Bouches-du-Rhône and parts of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes . Provence is so named because it was one of the first provinces outside of Roman Italy. HISTORY See Also: Lower Burgundy Provence has been inhabited since ancient times. It was known in ancient times as part of 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. It subsequently passed into hands of the Counts of Toulouse as a Fief of the Counts of Barcelona (later Kings of Aragon). In remained under the control of the House Of Orange-Nassau until 1672 ; the Comtat Venaissin , centered 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 Frank ish origin, to the House Of Barcelona , to the House Of Anjou and to a Cadet Branch of the House Of Valois . GEOGRAPHY Provence is bound by the Alps and Italy to the east and the Rhône River to the west, with the Mediterranean Sea providing its southern border. It has very varied topographical feautures, ranging from fertile plains in the Rhône valley to mountains in the east (notably Mont Ventoux , the Luberon range and the Alpilles ), to marshlands in the south (the Camargue ). The Principality of Monaco is nestled between Nice and Italy. Marseilles , Aix-en-Provence , Avignon and Arles are other cities of importance in Provence. Marseilles is by far the largest city in Provence and the second or third largest city in France; the principal city of both the ' Bouches-du-Rhône ' department and the region PACA (Provence Alpes Côte d'azur), Marseille is also called the ''chef-lieu'' (capital city) of Provence. CLIMATE , Provence]] The climate of Provence is typically Mediterranean , warm and dry. However, the legendary Mistral is a strong, cold Wind from the north that occurs mostly in the winter and spring. The higher regions of Provence get snow in winter. Temperature can be as high as 44°C. The climate in Provence results from the combination of three factors: - high annual daylight hours (up to 2900h, only 1600h in Dunkerque in the north of France) - limited precipitation (snow, rain, etc); in winter the wind called mistral/mistrau drives out the clouds after short but intense downpours. - dry weather (the area could have dryness one month and rain the following, but still have significant dryness overall) It rains only 30 to 50 days in the plain, but more in the Alps; by comparison, it rains more than 270 days in London. The annual average temperature on the coast is 15.1°C in Marseilles to 17.3°C in Menton, compared with 16.5°C in Barcelona, 18°C in Tunis, and 11.3°C in London. During the coldest month, the temperature in the day is from 11°C to 14.8°C on the coast (8°C in London). SIGHTS Many remains from the Roman times can be seen in Provence, including:
CULTURE Much Rosé wine is produced under the '' Côtes De Provence '' Appellation , using some of the typical Grape s of southern France, Grenache , Syrah , Carignan , and Cinsault . It is often at its best young. The other Appelations of Provence are Bandol AOC , Les Baux De Provence AOC , Bellet AOC , Cassis AOC , Coteaux D'Aix-en-Provence AOC , Coteaux Varois AOC and Palette AOC . ''Provençal'' is the Adjective used to describe things originating from this region, as well as being the name of the local Occitan Language under its regional variety, Provençal . Occitan is a Romance Language that is part of the Romance Dialect Continuum that stretches from Italy to Portugal . Authors who have written about Provence in Occitan include:
Authors who have written about Provence in French include: Authors who have written about Provence in English include:
Authors who have resided in Provence include: Painters of Provencal scenes and landscapes include: Music written about Provence includes:
On the culture of Provence see further: 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
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|