Where is IAU?
Located in the South of France...
A great advantage of living and being a student in France outside of
Paris is having direct access to traditional cultures. In smaller towns
such as Aix-en-Provence and especially Avignon, where Americans are not
quite so common, it is easier to meet local residents and other
university students spontaneously and to speak with them in French. In
this setting, IAU students gain an invaluable cross-cultural
perspective.
Climate
Provence has a Mediterranean climate with long, hot summers and mild
winters. Temperatures along the coast tend to be slightly higher and
swimming in the Mediterranean can be enjoyed as late as
September/October. Most rainfall occurs in spring (April to May).
Provence is renowned for the presence of the Mistral wind, a cold, dry
north westerly wind that funnels down the Rhone Valley, often reaching
60 miles per hour (100km/hr), and is at its strongest and most frequent
during winter and spring.
| Month |
Mean Temperature |
Mean
Total
Rain (mm) |
Mean
Number
Rainy
Days |
Daily
Minimum |
Daily
Maximum |
| January |
37.4 |
52.2 |
53.6 |
6.1 |
| February |
39.0 |
54.7 |
43.5 |
5.1 |
| March |
42.8 |
59.5 |
40.4 |
4.8 |
| April |
47.3 |
63.9 |
57.9 |
6.3 |
| May |
54.7 |
72.0 |
41.2 |
4.9 |
| June |
60.8 |
79.0 |
25.4 |
3.5 |
| July |
65.7 |
85.1 |
12.6 |
1.4 |
| August |
65.7 |
84.6 |
31.4 |
3.1 |
| September |
59.9 |
77.5 |
60.6 |
4.1 |
| October |
52.9 |
68.5 |
85.4 |
6.3 |
| November |
44.2 |
58.5 |
50.6 |
5.2 |
| December |
39.4 |
53.6 |
52.0 |
5.6 |
Culture
Provence is noted for its landscapes and climate, its
cuisine, its wines, and its perfumes. The major perfume-making region of Grasse
is located near Nice.
Provençal cuisine is characterized by the use of
vegetables such as tomatoes, courgettes, eggplants, herbs such as thyme, and
olive oil.
Much rosé wine is produced under the Côtes de Provence
appellation, using some of the typical grapes of southern France, Grenache,
Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault. It is often at its best young. The other
Appelations of Provence are Bandol AOC, Les Baux de Provence AOC, Bellet AOC,
Cassis AOC, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AOC, Coteaux Varois AOC and Palette AOC.
Provençal is the adjective used to describe things
originating from this region, as well as being the name of the local Romance
language. Provençal is a dialect of Occitan, and is not mutually intelligible
with either Parisian French or standard Italian. Instead, it is part of the
Romance languages' dialect continuum that stretches from Italy to Portugal.
Authors who have written about Provence include:
- Alphonse Daudet
- Frédéric Mistral
- Jean Giono
- Marcel Pagnol
- Peter Mayle
Painters of Provencal scenes and landscapes include:
- Paul Cézanne
- Vincent van Gogh
History
Provence has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It
was known in ancient times as part of Narbonensis, inhabited by Ligurians and
later Celts. The coastal strip was settled by Greeks and Phoenicians from around
600 BC onwards, with Marseille becoming one of the great trading cities of the
Mediterranean. It was progressively settled by the Romans from the 2nd century
BC, eventually becoming a province of the Roman Empire. This gave it its name,
from the Latin provincia, as Provence was one of the first and most romanised
provinces.
