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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: St. Remy de Provence
Saint-Rémy-De-Provence: Le Mas des Tourterelles (au lieu d’un Gite)
If the animated buzz and bourgeois mien in the cafes and restaurants of St.-Rémy-de-Provence appear to mimic the frenetic energy of Paris, consider that St-Remy is a favored summer hangout of the Parisian smart set (French who say “je suis confu” … Continue reading
St. Rémy de Provence: Compositions as Body Art by Jacopo Baboni-Schilingi at the Outrageously Trendy Mas de l’Amarine
A virtuoso of raw force, the composer Jacopo Baboni-Schilingi has a quick hand – one with great élan for applying musical scores to the bare skins of those willing to model the music which he composed for an evening of … Continue reading
AP’ART FESTIVAL SET FOR 2011; SO WHY IS IT A PERFECT DISH ON REGION’S FESTIVAL MENU?
Consider this artistic assignment: grab a box of coloring crayons along with a map of the southern Rhone region and color in concentric circles around each town that hosts a summer festival, choosing a different color for each category of … Continue reading
JESSICA LANGE’S PHOTOS ON EXHIBIT
In his biography of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Pierre Assouline notes that the photographer felt like a thief when taking shots. In effect, Cartier-Bresson conceived of himself as stealing images away from strangers. This perception reasserts itself when one examines the darkly-textured … Continue reading