Provence

For other uses, see Provence (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Province.

Provence Provença (Occitan)
Historical province
View across lavender field to Mont Ventoux
Flag Coat of arms
Location of the County of Provence in red over modern borders of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in pink in modern France.
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Largest city	Marseille
Demonym(s)	Provençal, Provençale

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A map of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur administrative region

The historical province of Provence (orange) within the contemporary region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in southeastern France

Aerial view of a historic Provençal boulevard

Provence is a geographical, cultural region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It largely corresponds with the modern administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and includes the departments of Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, as well as parts of Alpes-Maritimes and Vaucluse. The largest city of the region and its modern-day capital is Marseille.

The Romans made the region the first Roman province beyond the Alps and called it Provincia Romana, which evolved into the present name. Until 1481 it was ruled by the counts of Provence from their capital in Aquae Sextiae (today Aix-en-Provence), then became a province of the kings of France. It also hosted the Avignon papacy in the Middle Ages, when the Pope and his Curia fled Rome. While the region has been part of France for more than 500 years, it still retains a distinct cultural and linguistic identity, particularly in the interior of the region.