Everything French Real Estate Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur is in the far south western part of France and buts up against Italy. It perhaps the most well known region in France with a diverse terrain this area has a long and interesting history.
Provence. Humans have inhabited the coast of Provence since in Europe 1 to 1.05 million years BC, proof is in the primitive tools that have been found in the Grotte du Vallonnet near Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, between Monaco and Menton.
The region has six departments;
Between the 10th and 4th century BC the Ligures and the Gauls lived in the area and the first Greeks visited the area in 7th century BC. Greek later settled moved in the area in about 600 BC establishing the town of Massalia on the site of what is now Marseille. Massalia grew to become one of the major trading ports of the ancient world.
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is a mountainous region with peaks over 3,000 metres close to the Italian border. The climate is very dry and arid but irrigation allows for a healthy fruit-growing industry. It is surrounded by the French departments of Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Vaucluse, and Drôme, as well as Italy. Hautes-Alpes is another mountainous department with the highest elevation being over 4000 m. The village of SaintVéran is the third highest commune in Europe. Alpes-Maritimes is mountainous right down to the coast, it includes the French Riviera coastline on the Mediterranean Sea and famous towns and cities of Cannes, Nice, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and Antibes. Bouches-du-Rhône is very urban and the home to Marseille the largest city in the region and third largest in France. Marseille port is France's largest commercial port contains. Over 50% of the Var is covered with forest, the department is at the foothills of the Alps and is quite mountainous. A large area of Vaucluse is mountainous with Mont Ventoux at 1,900 metres dominating the landscape. Fruit and vegetables are cultivated in great quantities in the lower-lying parts of the department, on one of the most fertile plains in southern France.
The Romans had influence in the area from 181BC and established permanent residence here in around 125 BC where they built roads to facilitate trade and to move armies more easily. The Roman reign lasted until the 3rd century when they were over run by the Germans. From the 9th to the 13th century the region was ruled by powerful counts and was a hotly contested prize between several factions. During this time Provence was raided by both Arab pirates called Saracens who built castles and strong holds and the Normans who pillaged the area and left. Pope Clement V moved the Roman Catholic Papacy to Avignon in 1309 and from then until 1377 seven Popes reigned in Avignon before the Papal Schism between the Roman and Avignon churches split the Catholic Church and led to the formation of two popes. Between 1334 and 1363 Popes Benedict XII built the Old Papal Palace of Avignon, and Clement VI built the New Palace, together the Palais des Papes became the largest gothic palace in Europe.
©Everything French Real Estate| www.everythingfrenchrealestate.co.au|
62