Provence

About Provence

The Provence region, situated between the Alps, the river Rhône and the Mediterranean has been inhabited by various groups, including the Celts, Greeks and most famously, and still visible to this day – the Romans.

Provence a historical region

After Julius Caesar conquered this area in the middle of the 1^st century, he called it Provincia Romana, which became the name used today of Provence.

During the 14th century, the Catholic Church moved its headquarters from Rome to Avignon due to the conflict surrounding the Italian city at the time. This became the city's most affluent and prominent time in history.

Provence did not become part of France until 1481, and Avignon did not join until the French Revolution.

Provence a cultural region

Provençal was spoken throughout France, Northern Spain and Italy from the 12^th to the 14^th. Frédéric Mistral, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1904 tried to bring this language back to re-gain literature and cultural identity. And today, people in the Provence region still have some signposts written in Provençal.

France is well-known for its high-brow art scene and Provence only adds to this. The Marché des créateurs runs from July to September in Saint-Remy de Provence showcasing 50 of the best creators, who are stringently selected each week. Markets also thrive throughout the Provence region selling every part of the local produce with a strong focus on direct creator-consumer contact. Artisans à ciel ouvert in Aix-en-Provence, is a market where the craftsmen also run the stalls.

The products and way of life in this region are what really makes the area, but the most attractive thing of all is how dedicated the people are to their history and keeping things close to their roots.