Editing Provence (section)

== Culture ==

=== Art ===
[[File:Frejus Cathedral Cloister Ceiling.jpg|thumb|The 14th-century ceiling of the cloister of Fréjus Cathedral is decorated with paintings of animals, people and [[mythical creature]]s]]
[[File:Nicolas Froment 003.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Triptych]] of the Burning Bush'', by Nicolas Froment, in [[Aix Cathedral]] (15th century)]]
Artists have been painting in Provence since prehistoric times; paintings of bisons, seals, auks and horses dating to between 27,000 and 19,000 BC were found in the [[Cosquer Cave]] near Marseille.<ref>Aldo Bastié, ''Histoire de la Provence'', Editions Ouest-France, 2001.</ref>

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. 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.<ref>Fixot, Michel, and Sauze, Elisabeth, 2004: ''La cathédrale Saint-Léonce et le groupe épiscopale de Fréjus''. Monum, Éditions du patrimoine.</ref>

[[Nicolas Froment]] (1435–1486) was the most important painter of Provence during the [[French Renaissance|Renaissance]], best known for his [[triptych]] of the Burning Bush (c. 1476), commissioned by King [[René I of Naples]]. The painting shows a combination of Moses, the Burning Bush, and the Virgin Mary "who gave birth but remained a virgin", just as the bush of Moses "-burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed". This is the explication according to a plaque in the cathedral. A more likely reason for the juxtaposition is that in 1400 a shepherd, or shepherds, discovered a miraculous statue of the Virgin and Child inside another burning bush (thorn bush specifically), in the village of L'Epine in the present day department of La Marne. The site and statue were later visited by the "Bon Roi René".
The wings of the triptych show King René with [[Mary Magdalene]], [[Anthony the Great|St. Anthony]] and [[St. Maurice]] on one side, and Queen Jeanne de Laval, with [[Catherine of Alexandria|Saint Catherine]], [[John the Evangelist]], and [[Saint Nicholas]] on the other.<ref>The cult of Mary Magdalene 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.</ref>

[[Louis Bréa]] (1450–1523) was a 15th-century painter, born in Nice, whose work is found in churches from Genoa to Antibes. His ''Retable of Saint-Nicholas'' (1500) is found in [[Monaco]], and his ''Retable de Notre-Dame-de-Rosaire'' (1515) is found in [[Antibes]].

[[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 [[Hôtel de Ville, Toulon|Hôtel de Ville]] of Toulon, and in the [[Louvre]]. There is a mountain named for him near Marseille, and a square in Toulon.

[[File:Paul Cézanne 090.jpg|thumb|[[Paul Cézanne]], ''L'Estaque'', 1883–1885]]
[[File:Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) Caféterras bij nacht (place du Forum) Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo 23-8-2016 13-35-40.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Vincent van Gogh]], ''Cafe Terrace at Night'', September 1888]]
[[File:Paul Signac - The Port of Saint-Tropez - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|[[Paul Signac]], ''The Port of Saint-Tropez'', oil on canvas, 1901]]

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.
* [[Adolphe Monticelli]] (1824–1886) was born in Marseille, moved to Paris in 1846 and returned to Marseille in 1870. His work influenced [[Vincent van Gogh]] who greatly admired him.<ref>See exhibition "Van Gogh – Monticelli" in Marseille's ''Centre de la Vieille Charité'', Sep 2008 – Jan 2009 {{cite web |url=http://www.rmn.fr/Van-Gogh-et-Monticelli-Centre-de |title=Exposition "Van Gogh et Monticelli Centre de la vieille charité, Marseille" : &#91;RMNGP&#93; |access-date=2011-12-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209181413/http://www.rmn.fr/Van-Gogh-et-Monticelli-Centre-de |archive-date=9 December 2011 }}</ref>
* [[Paul Cézanne]] (1839–1906) was born in Aix-en-Provence, and lived and worked there most of his life. The local landscapes, particularly [[Montagne Sainte-Victoire]], featured often in his work. He also painted frequently at [[L'Estaque]].
* [[Vincent van Gogh]] (1853–1890) lived little more than two years in Provence, but his fame as 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.
* [[Auguste Renoir]] (1841–1919) visited [[Beaulieu-sur-Mer|Beaulieu]], [[Grasse]], [[Saint-Raphaël, Var|Saint Raphael]] and [[Cannes]], before finally settling in [[Cagnes-sur-Mer]] in 1907, where he bought a farm in the hills and built a new house and workshop on the grounds. He continued to paint there until his death in 1919. His house is now a museum.
* [[Henri Matisse]] (1869–1954) first visited [[St. Tropez]] in 1904. In 1917 he settled in Nice, first at the Hotel Beau Rivage, then the Hotel de la Mediterranée, then la Villa des Allies in [[Cimiez]]. 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.
* [[Pablo Picasso]] (1881–1973) spent each summer from 1919 to 1939 on the [[Côte d'Azur]], and moved there permanently in 1946, first at [[Vallauris]], then at [[Mougins]], where he spent his last years.
* [[Pierre Bonnard]] (1867–1947) retired to and died at [[Le Cannet]].
* [[Georges Braque]] (1882–1963) painted frequently at [[L'Estaque]] between 1907 and 1910.
* [[Henri-Edmond Cross]] (1856–1910) discovered the Côte d'Azur in 1883 and painted at [[Monaco]] and [[Hyères]].
* [[Maurice Denis]] (1870–1943) painted at St. Tropez and [[Bandol]].
* [[André Derain]] (1880–1954) painted at L'Estaque and [[Martigues]].
* [[Raoul Dufy]] (1877–1953), whose wife was from Nice, painted in [[Forcalquier]], Marseille and Martigues.
* [[Albert Marquet]] (1873–1947) painted at Marseille, St. Tropez and L'Estaque.
* [[Claude Monet]] (1840–1927) visited Menton, [[Bordighera]], [[Juan-les-Pins]], [[Monte Carlo]], Nice, [[Cannes]], [[Beaulieu-sur-Mer|Beaulieu]] and [[Villefranche-sur-Mer|Villefranche]], and painted a number of seascapes of [[Cap Martin]], near Menton, and at [[Cap d'Antibes]].
* [[Edvard Munch]] (1863–1944) 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.
* [[Paul Signac]] (1863–1935) visited St. Tropez in 1892, and bought a villa, La Hune, at the foot of citadel in 1897. It was at his villa that his friend, Henri Matisse, painted his famous ''[[Luxe, Calme et Volupté]]''" in 1904. Signac made numerous paintings along the coast.
* [[Pierre Deval]] (1897–1993), a French modernist and figurative painter, lived and worked at the [[Domaine d'Orvès]] in [[La Valette-du-Var]] from 1925 until his death in 1993.
* [[Nicolas de Staël]] (1914–1955) lived in Nice and [[Antibes]].
* [[Yves Klein]] (1928–1962), a native of [[Nice]], is considered an important figure in post-war European art.
* [[Sacha Sosno]] (1937–2013) is a French painter and sculptor living and working in Nice.

''Source and Bibliography about artists on the Mediterranean''
* ''Méditerranée de Courbet á Matisse'', catalogue of the exhibit at the Grand Palais, Paris from September 2000 to January 2001. Published by the Réunion des musées nationaux, 2000.

=== Architecture ===
{{Main|Architecture of Provence}}

=== Literature ===
{{main|Occitan language|Occitan literature}}

[[File:Raimbaut de Vaqueiras.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Raimbaut de Vaqueiras]], from a collection of [[troubadour]] songs, ''BNF Richelieu Manuscrits Français 854'', ''Bibliothèque Nationale Française'', Paris]]
Historically, the language spoken in Provence was [[Provençal dialect|Provençal]], a dialect of the [[Occitan language]], also known as langue d'oc, and closely related to [[Catalan language|Catalan]]. There are several regional variations: [[vivaro-alpin]], spoken in the Alps, and the Provençal variations of south, including the maritime, the rhoadanien (in the Rhône Valley) and the [[Niçois]] (in Nice). Niçois is the archaic form of Provençal closest to the original language of the [[troubadour]]s, and is sometimes to said to be literary language of its own.<ref>from the article "Provence" in the French-language Wikipedia.</ref>

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 500,000, mostly elderly.

;Writers and poets in the Occitan language
[[File:Folquet de Marseilla.jpg|thumb|upright|"Folquet de Marselha" in a 13th-century [[chansonnier]]. Depicted in his episcopal robes.]]
The golden age of [[Provençal 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. Among the most famous troubadours was [[Folquet de Marselha]], whose love songs became famous all over Europe, and who was praised by [[Dante]] in his ''[[Divine Comedy]]''. In his later years, Folquet gave up poetry to become the Abbot of [[Thoronet Abbey]], and then [[Bishop of Toulouse]], where he fiercely persecuted the [[Cathars]].

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.

Provençal writers and poets who wrote in Occitan include:
* [[Raimbaut de Vaqueiras]] (1180–1207)
* [[Louis Bellaud]] (1543–1588)
* [[Théodore Aubanel]] (1829–1886)
* [[Joseph d'Arbaud]] (1874–1950)
* [[Robert Lafont]] (1923–2009)

;French authors
[[File:Alphonse Daudet.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Alphonse Daudet]]]]
[[File:SidonieGabrielleColette.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Colette]]]]
* [[Alphonse Daudet]] (1840–1897) was the best-known French writer from Provence in the 19th century, though he lived mostly in Paris and [[Champrosay]]. He was best known for his ''[[Letters from My Windmill|Lettres de mon moulin]]'' (Letters from My Windmill) (1869) and the [[Tartarin|Tartarin of Tarascon]] trilogy (1872, 1885, 1890). His short story ''[[L'Arlésienne (novel and play)|L'Arlésienne]]'' (1872) was made into a three-act play with [[L'Arlésienne (Bizet)|incidental music]] by [[Georges Bizet]].<ref>''Atlantic Brief Lives, A Biographical Companion to the Arts'', pg. 204, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1971.</ref>
* [[Marcel Pagnol]] (1895–1970), born in Aubagne, is known both as a filmmaker and for his stories of his childhood, ''Le Château de la Mere'', ''La Gloire de mon Pere'', and ''Le Temps des secrets''. He was the first filmmaker to become a member of the {{Lang|fr|[[Académie Française]]|italic=no}} in 1946.
* [[Colette]] (Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette) (1873–1954), although she was not from Provence, became particularly attached to [[Saint-Tropez]]. 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.
* [[Paul Arène]] (1843–1896), born in [[Sisteron]], wrote about life and the countryside around his home town.

;Émigrés, exiles, and expatriates

In the 19th and 20th centuries, 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 [[Castel Sainte-Claire]] in 1927, on the site of a former convent in the hills above [[Hyères]], where she lived during the winters and springs until her death in 1937.
* [[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 [[Saint-Raphaël, Var|St. Raphaël]], where he wrote much of ''The Great Gatsby'' and began ''Tender is the Night''.
* [[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 [[French Riviera|Côte d'Azur]], and had a house in [[Grasse]].
* [[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.

Other English-speaking writers who live in or have written about Provence include:
* [[Peter Mayle]]
* [[Carol Drinkwater]]
* [[John Lanchester]]
* [[Willa Cather]]
* [[Charles Spurgeon]] (who spent long periods in [[Menton]])
* [[Katherine Mansfield]]
* [[Lawrence Durrell]]

;Scientists, scholars and prophets
* [[Pytheas]] (4th century BCE) was a geographer and mathematician who lived in the Greek colony of Massalia, now Marseille. He conducted an expedition by sea north around Great Britain to Iceland, and was the first to describe the midnight sun and polar regions.
* [[Petrarch]] (1304–1374) was an Italian poet and scholar, considered the father of [[humanism]] and one of the first great figures of [[Italian literature]]. He spent much of his early life in [[Avignon]] and [[Carpentras]] as an official at the Papal court in Avignon, and wrote a famous account of his ascent of [[Mount Ventoux]] near [[Aix-en-Provence]].
* [[Nostradamus]] (1503–1566), a Renaissance apothecary and reputed [[clairvoyant]] best known for his alleged prophecies of great world events, was born in [[Saint-Remy-de-Provence]] and lived and died in [[Salon-de-Provence]].

=== Music ===
[[File:Darius Milhaud b Meurisse 1923.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Darius Milhaud]], born in Provence in 1892]]
Music written about Provence includes:
* "Di Provenza il mar, il suol", an aria for baritone from ''[[La traviata]]'' (Act 2) by [[Giuseppe Verdi]] 
* The opera ''[[Mireille (opera)|Mireille]]'' by [[Charles Gounod]], after Frédéric Mistral's poem [[Mirèio]]
* [[Georges Bizet]]' ''[[L'Arlésienne (Bizet)|L'Arlésienne]]'', [[incidental music]] to [[Alphonse Daudet]]'s [[L'Arlésienne (short story)|eponymous play]]
* ''[[L'arlesiana|L'Arlesiana]]'', an opera by [[Francesco Cilea]], based on the play ''[[L'Arlésienne (short story)|L'Arlésienne]]'' by Alphonse Daudet 
* [[Darius Milhaud]]: ''Le Carnaval d'Aix'', ''[[Suite provençale]]'', ''[[La cheminée du roi René|La Cheminée du roi René]]'', ''Suite française'' (5. Provence), ''Ouverture méditerranéenne'' 
* The ''[[Tableaux de Provence]]'' (Pictures of Provence), a suite for alto saxophone and orchestra composed by [[Paule Maurice]]
* [[Eugène Reuchsel]]: ''Promenades en Provence'', ''Huit Images de Provence'', for organ
* The ''Suite Provençale'' for concert band by [[Jan Van der Roost]]
* Two song settings of [[Vladimir Nabokov]]'s poem "Provence" in Russian and English versions by composers Ivan Barbotin and James DeMars on the 2011 contemporary classical album ''[[Troika (Julia Kogan album)|Troika]]''<ref>[https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005USB24A "Troika: Russia's westerly poetry in three orchestral song cycles"], Rideau Rouge Records, ASIN: B005USB24A, 2011.</ref>

=== Cinema ===
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]]'' (''The Arrival of a Train into La Ciotat Station''), a fifty-second silent film, was made by [[Auguste and Louis Lumière]] at the train station of the coastal town of [[La Ciotat]]. It was shown to an audience in Paris on 28 December 1895, causing a sensation.<ref>*<!--Do not remove this link citing "no license stated", this film (made in 1896) is in the public domain-->[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dgLEDdFddk Complete film] on YouTube
* [http://www.institut-lumiere.org/ The Lumiere Institute, Lyon, France]</ref>

Before its commercial premiere in Paris, the film was shown to invited audiences in several French cities, including La Ciotat. It was shown at the Eden Theater in September 1895, making that theatre one of the first motion picture theatres, and the only of the first theatres still showing movies in 2009.<ref>"...Onze autres projections en France (Paris, Lyon, La Ciotat, Grenoble) et en Belgique (Bruxelles, Louvain) auront lieu avec un programme de films plus étoffé durant l'année 1895, avant la première commerciale du 28 décembre, remportant à chaque fois le même succès."  From the site of the Institut Lumiere in Lyon. see [http://www.institut-lumiere.org/ Site of the Institut Lumiere]</ref>

Three other of the earliest Lumiere films,  ''[[Partie de cartes]]'',  ''[[l'Arroseur arrosé]]'' (the first known filmed comedy), and ''[[Repas de bébé]]'', were also filmed in La Ciotat in 1895, at the Villa du Clos des Plages, the summer residence of the Lumière Brothers.

=== Parks and gardens ===
{{main|Gardens of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur}}

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Cuisine of Provence}}
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 [[Rhône Valley]], 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 urchin]]s and octopus, lamb and goat, [[chickpea]]s, and local fruits, such as grapes, peaches, apricots, strawberries, cherries, and the famous melons of [[Cavaillon]].

The fish frequently found on menus in Provence are the ''[[Red mullet|rouget]]'', a small red fish usually eaten grilled, and the ''[[European seabass|loup]]'' (known elsewhere in France as the ''bar''), often grilled with fennel over the wood of grapevines.
* ''[[Aioli|Aïoli]]'' is a thick emulsion sauce made from olive oil flavoured with crushed garlic. It often accompanies a ''[[bourride]]'', a fish soup, or is served with potatoes and cod (fr. ''Morue''). There are many recipes.
* ''[[Bouillabaisse]]'' is the classic seafood dish of Marseille. The traditional version is made with three fish: [[scorpionfish]], [[sea robin]], and [[European conger]], plus an assortment of other fish and shellfish, such as [[John Dory]], monkfish, sea urchins, crabs and [[sea spiders]] included for flavour. The seasoning is as important as the fish, including salt, [[Chili pepper|pepper]], onion, tomato, saffron, fennel, sage, thyme, bay laurel, sometimes orange peel, and a cup of white wine or cognac. In Marseille the fish and the broth are served separately—the broth is served over thick slices of bread with ''[[rouille]]'' (see below).<ref>See the Michelin Guide Vert, Côte d'Azur, pg.31 (in French), for this classic version. There are countless others.</ref>
* ''[[Brandade]] de morue'' is a thick purée of salt cod, olive oil, milk, and garlic, usually spread on toast.<ref>{{cite book |last=Olney |first=Richard |date=1994 |title=Lulu's Provenc̜al Table : the exuberant food and wine from Domaine Tempier Vineyard |location=New York |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |isbn=0-06-016922-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/lulusprovencalta00olne/page/83 83–85] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/lulusprovencalta00olne/page/83 }}</ref>
* ''[[Daube]] provençale'' is a stew made with cubed beef braised in wine, vegetables, garlic, and ''[[herbes de provence]]''. Variations also call for olives, prunes, and flavouring with duck fat, vinegar, brandy, lavender, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, juniper berries, or orange peel. For best flavour, it is cooked in several stages, and cooled for a day between each stage to allow the flavours to meld together. In the [[Camargue]] area of France, bulls killed in the bullfighting festivals are sometimes used for ''daube''.
* ''[[Fougasse (bread)|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.
* ''[[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 
* ''[[Ratatouille]]'' is a traditional dish of stewed vegetables, which originated in Nice.<ref>Ratatouille. ''Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd edition.</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:Allioli.jpg|An ''aioli'' made of garlic, salt, egg yolk and olive oil
File:Bullabessa.jpg|A traditional ''[[bouillabaisse]]'' from Marseille, soup and fish served separately
File:Brandada de Bacalao - 098.jpg|''[[Brandade]] de morue'', a dish of salt cod and olive oil mashed with potatoes or bread in winter
File:Daube de boeuf.JPG|''[[Daube]]'', or Provençal beef stew, cooked in wine
File:Pissaladiera.jpg|''[[Pissaladière]]''
File:Ratatouille02.jpg|A bowl of ''[[ratatouille]]'' with bread
File:Socca in Nice.jpg|''Socca'' of Nice, also known as ''La Cade'' in [[Toulon]] or ''[[Farinata#French variations|panisse]]'' in [[Marseille]]
File:Calisson.jpg|''[[Calissons]]'' from Aix
</gallery>
* ''[[Rouille]]'' is a mayonnaise with red [[pimentos]], often spread onto bread and added to fish soups.
* ''[[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.
* 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.
* ''[[Herbes de Provence]]'' (or Provençal herbs) are a mixture of fresh or dried herbs from Provence which are commonly used in Provençal cooking.

====Wines====
{{main|Provence wine}}
The [[Provence wine|wines of Provence]] were probably introduced into Provence around 600 BC by the Greek [[Phoceans]] who founded Marseille and Nice. After the Roman occupation, in 120 BC the [[Roman Senate]] forbade the growing of vines and olives in Provence, to protect the profitable trade in exporting Italian wines, but in the late Roman empire retired soldiers from [[Roman Legions]] settled in Provence and were allowed to grow grapes.<ref>[[Cicero]], Book III Chapter 9 of ''De Republica'', quoted in ''Histore sociale et culturelle du Vin'', Gilbert Garrier, Larousse, 1998.</ref>

The Romans complained about the competition from and poor quality of the wines of Provence. In the 1st century AD the Roman poet [[Martial]] condemned the wines of Marseille as "terrible poisons, and never sold at a good price."<ref>Martial, ''Epigrams'' X-36, cited by Garrier, op.cit.</ref>

[[File:Clos des Tourelles.jpg|thumb|Wine estate near [[Vaison-la-Romaine]]]]
As recently as the 1970s the wines of Provence had the reputation of being rather ordinary: In 1971 wine critic [[Hugh Johnson (wine)|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 [[rosé]]s, often orange-tinted, which have most appeal." 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 Provençal white wine, and Bandol leads the red in much the same way."<ref>Hugh Johnson, ''The World Atlas of Wine'', Mitchell Beazley Publishers, 1971</ref>

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.

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. 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'' dates to 1997, though these wines were recognised in the 17th and 18th centuries, notably by [[Madame de Sévigné]], who reported the habits and preferred wines of the Court of [[Louis XIV]]. 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. The appellation today covers 84 communes in Var and [[Bouches-du-Rhône]], and one in [[Alpes-Maritimes]]. The principal grapes used in the red wines are [[grenache]], mourvèdre, [[cinsault]], [[tibouren]], and [[syrah]]. For the white wines, [[Clairette blanche|clairette]], [[vermentino]], [[sémillon]], and [[ugni blanc]]. The appellation covers {{convert|20300|ha}}. 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 in 1985. The wines of Aix were originally planted by veterans of the Roman legions in the 1st century BC, and were promoted in the 15th century by [[René I of Naples]], the last ruler of Provence. Most vineyards were destroyed by ''phylloxera'' in the 19th century, and very slowly were reconstituted. The principal grapes for red wines and rosés are grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, syrah, [[counoise]], [[carignan]], and [[cabernet sauvignon]]. White wines are made mainly with [[bourboulenc]], clairette, [[grenache blanc]], and vermentino. There are {{convert|4000|ha}} 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 grenache, cinsaut, mourvèdre, and syrah grapes. White wines use clairette, grenache blanc, rolle blanc, sémillon, and ugni blanc. There are {{convert|2200|ha}} 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 department of Var on the coast west of Toulon, mostly around the villages of [[La Cadiere d'Azur]] and [[Castellet]]. Wines of this appellation must have at least fifty percent mourvèdre grapes, though most have considerably more. Other grapes used are grenache, cinsault, syrah, and carignan.
* [[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. Wines from Cassis are described in French literature as early as the 12th century. The grapes most commonly used are [[marsanne]], clairette, [[ugni blanc]], [[sauvignon blanc]], and [[Bourboulenc]]. Rosé wines use grenache, carignan, and mourvèdre.
* AOC [[Bellet]]; at the time of the French Revolution, the little town of Saint Roman de Bellet (now part of Nice) was the center of an important wine region. Production was nearly destroyed by ''phylloxera'' and by the two wars, and only in 1946 was the region again producing fully. 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 [[braquet]], [[Folle]], and cinsault, blended sometimes with grenache. For white wines, the major grapes grown are [[rolle blanc]], [[roussane]], [[spagnol]], and [[mayorquin]]; the secondary grapes are clairette, [[bourboulenc]], [[chardonnay]], [[pignerol]], and [[Muscat (grape and wine)|muscat]].
* [[Palette AOC]]; the little village of [[Le Tholonet|Palete]], four kilometres 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. This production was nearly abandoned, but is now being recreated. The main grapes for red wine are grenache, mourvèdre, and [[cinsaut]]; for the white wines clairette.
* AOC [[Les Baux de Provence]]; was established as an AOC for red and rosé wines in 1995.
South of Avignon, it occupies the north and south slopes of the [[Alpilles]], up to an altitude of {{convert|400|m}}, and extends about thirty kilometres from east to west. The principal grapes for the red wines are grenache, mourvèdre, and syrah. For the rosés, the main grapes are syrah and cinsault.

====Pastis====
[[File:pastis.jpg|thumb|upright|A glass of diluted [[pastis]]]]
[[File:Boule.kugel.jpg|thumb|right|Cochonnet next to the boule]]
[[Pastis]] is the traditional liqueur of Provence, flavoured with [[anise]] and typically containing 40–45% alcohol by volume. When [[absinthe]] was banned in France in 1915, the major absinthe producers (then [[Pernod Fils]] and [[Paul Ricard|Ricard]], who have since merged as [[Pernod Ricard]]) reformulated their drink without the banned [[absinthe wormwood|wormwood]] and with more aniseed flavour, coming from [[star anise]], sugar and a lower alcohol content, creating pastis. It is usually drunk diluted with water, which it turns a cloudy color. It is especially popular in and around Marseille.

=== Sports ===
[[Pétanque]], a form of [[boules]], is a popular sport played in towns and villages all over Provence.

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. 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, ''lei peds tancats'', in the [[Provençal dialect]] of [[Occitan language|Occitan]], 'feet together'.   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 cochonnet, (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 cochonnet (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 cochonnet. A player pitches balls until he can regain the point (''reprenne le point'') by having his ball closest to the cochonnet. Each ball from a single team, if there are no other balls from the other team closer to the cochonnet, counts as a point. The points are counted when all of the balls have been tossed by both teams.<ref>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.</ref>