Provence History

During the Bronze Age, Provence was inhabited by primitive tribes whose artistic legacy, in the form of etched pottery, dates from around 6000 B.C. By around 700 B.C. traders from Greek-speaking areas around the Aegean established colonies at Antipolis (Antibes), Nikaia (Nice), and Massilia (Marseille). Mediterranean wines, grains and ceramics were exchanged for pewter and livestock from west-central France.

The Greeks even sailed up the Rhône, trading with the Celtic and Ligurian tribes and influencing them with their sophisticated ways. They introduced the grape and the olive - both were to play vital roles in the Provençal economy for millennia to come.

The heart of Provence is in the hills that bind the sea to the Alps. These are the sloping vineyards; the cultivated lands and the colorful scenery that charmed Cezanne (Aix en Provence), Van Gogh (Arles), Chagall or Giono. In Provence or the Midi the local people have a soft singing accent which evokes their whole relaxed lifestyle. They have no greater pleasure after a hard days work than to enjoy a delicious and hardy meal shared with friends.

Provence is divided into six Departments: Bouches du Rhone, Var, Alpes Maritimes, Vaucluse, Alpes de Haute Provence, and Hautes Alpes. The departments to the west - Vaucluse and Bouches du Rhone - are bordered on the west by the Rhône river. These two departments are generally what tourists think of when they think of Provence.

To really know Provence means one must really know the wealth of local products through the markets, traditional village fairs, museums, wine cellars and mills. The craftsmen and Provençal farms are pleased to introduce you the fruit of their work.

Officially, there is no French department region called Provence. Yet when you hear the word, you think of oleanders, olives and lavender. You think of a slower of pace of life, a Sunday lunch under the shade of plane trees, a café crème at a sidewalk café, or a long walk through a forest of oak and chestnut trees. You may even think of a village clinging to the side of a mountain, a church tower with a wrought-iron campanile where the mistral finds little obstruction, or a narrow cobble-stoned street.  And, finally, when you're marveling at the rocky inlets of the Mediterranean sea, or relaxing on the beach of Pampelonne, near Saint-Tropez, you can also say: "I'm in Provence!"

Arles -
First inhabited by the Greeks, but made the most of by the Romans, who left a theater and amphitheater for tourists to gawk at. Arles used to be a thriving port before it all silted up to become the marshy Camarge. Van Gogh chopped off his ear here  - and produced some of his best work as well. The people didn't like him much at the time, but they do now, of course.

Avignon -
a spectacular city with the must-visit Palais des Papes (Palace of Popes) as well as other sites and a compelling old town. Parking outside the gates, on the other side of the Rhone, isn't as difficult as you might think.

St. Remy de Provence -
Founded by the Romans as Glanum, there is a lot to see here, Roman or not. Outside the town is the Ancien Monastère de St- Paul-de-Mausole, the 12th century monastery that was converted to the psychiatric hospital where Van Gogh was admitted and where he produced some of his most famous paintings - like Starry Night. There is a walk you can take where he produced some of his paintings, but the trail is becoming overgrown. Still worth a look though. Nostrademus was born in St. Remy as well.

Les Baux -
Bauxite was discovered here in 1821, and Les Baux seems to be built out of the quarries. Now it's a craftsman's hangout, and you can taste wine in one of the caves.

Wine
Provence is perhaps not the most renowned wine-growing region in France, but it has surely the greatest variety.

There are two main wine-growing regions: the wineyard of "Côtes-du-Rhône": (Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape...)

The wine from Provence: (Cassis, Bellet, Bandol, Côteaux Varoix...) They can be tasted directly at the wine cellars or at local wine fêtes.

More information about wine: Map of Provencal wine (30Ko),The Wines Route

Olives and olive oil 
The olive tree - symbol of the Mediterranean - was imported by the Greeks some 2500 years ago.  It can live for several centuries and starts to give fruit at the age of eight, reaching full maturity by the age of twenty.

Olives are traditionally gathered by hand or combs from November to January. The largest are conserved for eating and the smallest are pressed at the mill to give "virgin olive oil".

5 kg (11Pb) of olives makes 1 litre (1,8 pints) of oil.

Truffles
The black truffle, the same as the Périgord truffle is recognizable by its strong wild perfume.

Its development requires 3 essential elements : earth rich in limestone, a Mediterranean climate and a welcoming tree (generally oak). It is collected during winter at the feet of oak trees with the help of a well-trained dog. The "truffle hound" scratches the earth to show where the truffle is hidden, leaving its owner to free the "Black Diamond" with a special hook called a "Faiji".

The cultivation of truffles spreads over 15 communities in the "Vaucluse" and 68 in the "Drôme Provençale".

Aromatics Plants
Be it wild or cultivated, each plant has its own special use: gastronomic, herbal tea, perfume, medicine...

They are widely used in Provencal cooking. Thyme or "Farigoule" in Provencal accompanies meat dishes whilst fennel or sage are delicious with fish. Savory "pebre d'ase" is used to season goat's cheese. But there is also rosemary, verbena, coriander, basil (pistou)...

Anise and mint are also cultivated to make aperitif drinks.

Lavender:
Every summer the plateaus and hills of Provence are colored in blue by fields of lavender.

The cultivation of lavender dates from the last century but its properties have been known since antiquity, it has even been used during the middle-ages as a disinfectant.

Collected by hand in the past, the harvest is now completely mechanized. Dried for a few days, the flowers then leave for the distillery where the essential oil is extracted. 120 kg (20 stone) of flowers makes 1 kg (2.2 Pb)of essential oil.

Lavandin plant, a hybrid of lavender, is becoming more and more popular because it produces twice as much oil.

Lime 
The Baronnies region is incontestably the last lime tree stronghold in France (90% of the national production).

The lime tree is cultivated for its flowers which make a tea well known for its sedative properties.

The flowers are gathered at the end of June entirely by hand, perched on a ladder with a white linen sack hooked to the ladder or the bough.

After the harvest the flowers are placed in the shade to conserve their qualities before being sold at the Lime Festival of Buis-les-Baronnies the first Wednesday of July.

Nougat 
This sweet with the perfume of Provence, a marriage of honey and almonds appeared for the first time in Montélimar at the end of the XVI century.

Honey and sugar are melted and cooked in mixers then added to beaten egg whites. It is only at the end that the almonds are added and the mixture is then poured into moulds.

Nougat can be made industrally or hand-made, but must include at least 30% of almonds to merit the name "Nougat de Montélimar".