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PROVENCE: GEOGRAPHY MATTERS
“Provence” has more efficacy as a "brand" than as a place. One rarely if ever hears any residents of the Vaucluse say that they live in "Provence." The word is heard frequently in its adjectival form: provençal.
As geography, the term "Provence" suffers abuse. The French consider contemporary 'Provence' to take in three administrative department:
- Vaucluse
- Bouches-du-Rhône
- Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Confusion pops up due to the administrative region PACA: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
When "Provence" is employed for the department of the Var (Toulon, St, Tropez) or the department of the Alpes-Maritime (Côte d'Azur) or even the five departments of the Languedoc-Roussillon, it is the "brand" asserting itself.
This is a regional distinction that Peter Mayle buys into 100% in his book Provence A-Z. In fact, if Mayle had been 'geographically-correct,' his iconic best seller would have been titled "A Year in the Luberon."
The Luberon and the Comtat Venaissin, referred to as the “Comtat,” are the two large regions within the Vaulcuse,
Tag Archives: Lacoste
Lacoste: Domaine de Layaude Basse (au lieu d’un Gite)
“La Coste is a château that looks like a fortress, without the slightest regularity. The approaches are quite steep and unpleasant because of the rockslides and the height of the mountain. There is no shelter anywhere near the château, a … Continue reading
Lacoste: The Light Palace in Venice, ‘Une Grande Passion’ of Pierre Cardin, Is Officially Canceled
“Among the many strange things that have befallen Venice, she has had the good fortune to become the object of a passion to a man of splendid genius, who has made her his own, and in doing so has made … Continue reading
Lacoste: The Phantom Bank in the Novel “At Last” by Edward St. Aubyn; Cash, Gas and Bread in the Luberon
Lacoste: No banks here In “At Last,” the British novelist Edward St Aubyn winds down in acrid ironic prose drenched with dark humor the lacerating saga of Patrick Melrose, born into the high tone world of the upper crust and … Continue reading
THE LACOSTE CHATEAU OF PIERRE CARDIN: A PEEK INSIDE THE FORMER LAIR OF THE MARQUIS DE SADE
A pasha of fashion, Pierre Cardin has taken up renaissance-pomo things like buying decrepit Châteaux and renovating them, the primary object of this particular enterprise is the Château Lacoste, once the lair of the Marquis de Sade. In 1772, M … Continue reading
WSJ MAGAZINE OUT WITH A BRACING TONIC ON PIERRE CARDIN AND HIS PASSION FOR LACOSTE
In his book “Henri Cartier-Bresson : a biography,” Pierre Assouline reveals how Cartier Bresson envisioned himself as a ‘thief’ by capturing people in private and public moments and then fleeing with these “stolen images” that one would reproduce for display … Continue reading
LACOSTE REPOTTED: A DECIDEDLY ANGLOPHONE FLORA; AN ART STUDENT SLEEPOVER A WITH PRETTY VIEW
Fact or Fiction? The village of Lacoste has 450 residents as noted in an August 2009 article penned by a reporter from the Paris bureau of the New York Times (NYT). True or False? Referencing the same piece, in the … Continue reading