Thearchitecture of Provence includes a rich collection of monuments from theRoman era,Cistercian monasteries from theRomanesque period,medieval castles and fortifications, as well as numerous hilltop villages and fine churches.Provence was a very poor region after the 18th century, but in the 20th century it had an economic revival and became the site of one of the most influential buildings of the 20th century, theUnité d'Habitation of the architectLe Corbusier inMarseille.
Provence, in the southeast corner of France, corresponds with the modern administrativeregion ofProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and includes thedepartments ofVar,Bouches-du-Rhône,Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, as well as parts ofAlpes-Maritimes andVaucluse. The originalcomté de Provence extended from the west bank of theRhone River to the east bank of theVar river, bordering thecomté of Nice. Provence culturally and historically extended further west of theGard toNîmes and to theVidourle river.
Remains of aprehistoric settlement dating to between 27,000 and 19,000 BC were found by divers in 1991 at theCosquer Cave, an underwater cave in acalanque on the coast nearMarseille.[1]
ANeolithic site dating to about 6000 BC. was discovered in Marseille near the current Saint Charles railway station, which has remains of walls made of baked clay with holes for posts, as well as tools.
Marseille was founded in about 546 BC by Greek colonists coming from the city ofPhocaea (now Foça, in modern Turkey) on the Aegean coast ofAsia Minor, who were fleeing an invasion by thePersians. They called their settlement Massalia.
Traces of the original settlement have been found on the west side of the butte Saint-Laurent in Marseille. The original settlement extended to the east toward the butte des Moulins and finally the butte des Carmes, covering about fifty hectares. The size of the original settlement were not exceeded until the 17th century.
Remains of the ancient Phocaean fortifications of Massalia dating to the end of the 7th century BC can be seen in theJardin des Vestiges and on the butte des Carmes. In the 2nd century BC the entire system of fortifications were rebuilt in pink limestone. Parts of the ramparts can still be seen in the Jardin des Vestiges.[2]
According to the historianStrabo and other ancient sources, the city of Massalia had temples toApollo andArtemis, but no trace of them remains. The only remaining structure from ancient Massalia are the cellars of Saint-Sauveur, near thePlace de Lenche in Marseille. They probably served as either a granary or an arsenal.[3]
ThePhocaeans also established colonies atNice,Arles,Cannes and south ofNîmes. Later the region was also inhabited byCelts, who were also known as theLiguress orCelto-Ligurians. who builtoppida, or forts. Little trace remains of their architecture.[4]
In the 2nd century BC, theRomans began their conquest of the region, sending legions which defeated the Ligurians and destroyed their fortresses. In 123 BC the Romans foundedAquae Sextiae, and two years later began a new town at Nemausa (todayNîmes.) The Roman colony known asprovincia was organized in about 120 BC. ARoman road, theVia Domitia, named for Roman Consul Domitius Ahenobarbus, was built to connect Rome with the Pyrenees, following the path of the old Greek Way of Hercules. It led to a great expansion of commerce in the region.
In the 1st century BC, Roman legions completed theconquest of Gaul and began building towns,triumphal arches,amphitheatres,theatres,public baths andaqueducts in Provence.
The Roman aqueduct ofPont du Gard (1st century AD), built during the time of the EmperorClaudius, is one of the most impressive examples of Roman civil engineering. Fifty meters above theGardon, it is the highest existing Roman aqueduct. The aqueduct carried water a distance of fifty kilometres.
TheTriumphal Arch of Orange atOrange,Vaucluse, was probably built to honor the veterans of the 11th legion in about twenty BC, during the time of the EmperorAugustus, and was later dedicated to the EmperorTiberius. It was designed to show travellers to the new Roman province the superiority and power of Rome.
The triumphal arch near the Roman town ofGlanum, just outsideSaint-Rémy-de-Provence, shows Roman soldiers leading away defeated prisoners. It was constructed between 10 and 25 AD, sometime after the Romans had conquered the town, which was inhabited byCelto-Ligurians. Glanum was destroyed in 260 AD. by theAlamanni, a Germanic tribe, as the Roman Empire began to crumble.
The Roman theatre in Orange, Vaucluse, was constructed by the Emperor Augustus in the early 1st century BC, is the best-preserved Roman theatre in Europe. It was closed by the authorities of the Christian church in 391 because of its "barbaric spectacles" and not re-opened until the 19th century. Today, it is the home of music and theatre festivals.
TheArles Amphitheatre was built in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, when Arles was the capital of Roman Provence. It was used for combat by gladiators and other spectacles. It has a diameter of 102 meters, and could hold twelve thousand spectators.
TheMaison Carrée inNîmes, built in 16–19 BC, is one of the best-preserved Roman temples in the former Roman Empire. It survived intact because it was converted into a Christian church in the 4th century AD. It was built according to the principles ofVitruvius, the chief theoretician ofancient Roman architecture. In the early 19th century, it was chosen as the model for the church of theMadeleine inParis.
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In 380 AD,Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire and Christian churches,cathedrals andmonasteries were founded all across Provence. Sometimes Roman temples, such as thetemple at Nîmes, were turned into churches. Often churches were built on the sites of Roman temples orfora (Arles and Aix-en-Provence) and used columns, such as the columns in the baptistery at Fréjus, and other elements of Roman temples.
Many of the churches were built in a new style, later calledRomanesque, which combinedGallo-Roman architectural elements with elements of a new style coming fromLombardy in Italy. It was particularly influenced by the new churches in theByzantine style inRavenna. TheRomanesque architecture of Provence [fr] and the valley of the Rhône had some regional decorative elements, borrowed from the Gallo-Romans, particularly the use of eagles and busts, traditional ancient Roman elements, to decorate the capitals ofCorinthian columns.[5]
Thebaptistery of theFréjus Cathedral (406–409 AD), built shortly before theFall of the Western Roman Empire, is the oldest Christian structure in Provence, and one of the oldest buildings in France. The octagonal building, about seven metres across, is covered by a dome set on arches supported by columns. In the center of the building is an octagonal baptismal font 1.3 meters deep and 92 centimetres long, large enough for the person baptized to be immersed in the water. It was only discovered in 1925, hidden behind later modifications to the church, and restored.[6]
Montmajour Abbey (French: Abbaye Notre Dame de Montmajour) is a fortifiedBenedictine monastery built between the 10th and 13th century on what was then an island five kilometres north ofArles, in theBouches-du-Rhônedépartement. The Abbey is famous for its 11th–14th century graves, carved in the rock, its subterranean crypt, and its massive unfinished church. It was an important pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages, and in the 18th century it was the site of a largeMaurist Monastery, now in ruins.
In the 12th century, monks of the Benedictine Order broke away to form a new order, theCistercians, who adhered strictly to the rules of St. Benedict. Cistercian monasteries were located in remote valleys next to rivers, were devoted to prayer, meditation, and manual labor, and were built following religious principles to avoid anything that would distract the monks from their prayers.
Sénanque Abbey was the first Cistercian monastery founded in Provence in 1148. The church was finished in 1178. A small community of monks still lives in the Abbey. The lavender fields around the Abbey make it one of the most photographed spots in Provence.
Thoronet Abbey, in a remote valley nearDraguignan, in the Var department, was founded in 1160. The cloister is among the oldest Cistercian cloisters still existing.Le Corbusier visited the monastery in 1953 and imitated the play of light and shadow in his priory ofSainte Marie de La Tourette, near Lyon. It also influenced the modern monastery byJohn Pawson atNový Dvůr Monastery, in the Czech Republic. Thoronet Abbey is now a museum open to visitors.
Silvacane Abbey was founded in 1175, the third of the Cistercian monasteries known as the Three Sisters of Provence. It is located by the Durance River atLa Roque-d'Anthéron, betweenAvignon andAix-en-Provence. It is open to the public, and is the only one of the three that no longer serves a religious purpose. It hosts prestigious piano and vocal music festivals.
TheChurch of St. Trophime (Trophimus) is a Roman Catholic church and former cathedral built between the 12th century and the 15th century in the city of Arles, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. The sculptures over the portal, particularly theLast Judgment, and the columns in the adjacent cloister, are considered some of the finest examples ofRomanesque sculpture. The church was built upon the site of the 5th centurybasilica of Arles, named forSaint Stephen.[7] In the 15th century a Gothic choir was added to the Romanesque nave.
Aix Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix) in Aix-en-Provence shows the transition fromRomanesque toGothic architecture. It is built on the site of the 1st centuryRoman forum of Aix, and was re-built from the 12th until the 19th century; it includes Romanesque, Gothic andNeo-Gothic elements, as well as Roman columns and parts of the baptistery from a 6th-century Christian church.
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TheGothic architecture style was invented in the middle of the 12th century with the facade of theBasilica of Saint-Denis in Paris, and spread rapidly to England and Germany, but did not arrive in Provence until the late 13th century.
The first purely Gothic church in Provence was the Basilica Sainte Marie-Madeleine inSaint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, which was begun in 1295. It was built to contain what was believed to be the sarcophagus ofMary Magdalene, which was discovered in aGallo-Roman crypt in Saint-Maximin in 1279. The basilica was consecrated in 1316, but theBlack Death in 1348, which killed half the local population, interrupted construction. Work started again in 1404, and the sixth bay of thenave was completed in 1412. Work continued until 1532, when it was decided to leave the basilica just as it was, with an unfinished west front, and neither a portal nor bell towers. The church today has a mainapse flanked by two subsidiary apses. The nave has notransept, and is flanked by sixteen chapels in the aisles. In the crypt is displayed what is said to be the skull of St. Mary Magdalene.
In other parts of Provence, Romanesque churches were transformed into Gothic ones. In Aix-en-Provence, two new wings of the transept ofAix Cathedral were built in the Gothic style between 1285–1230, and the cathedral was turned bay by bay into a Gothic church, paralleled the growth of importance of Aix. In Arles, a Gothicchoir replaced the Romanesque apse of theChurch of St. Trophime between 1445 and 1465.[8]
The finest Gothic building in Provence was thePalais des Papes inAvignon, which became the residence of thePopes whenPope Clement V moved thePapal Curia to Avignon, a period known as theAvignon Papacy. The Palace was one of the largest and most important buildings in Europe. Construction was begun byPope Benedict XII and continued by his successors. The construction of the 10-acre (40,000 m2), heavily fortified palace consumed most of the income of the papacy during this period. It served as the residence of twoantipopes,Clement VII andBenedict XIII, before the papal court finally returned permanently to Rome. While the outside of the palace looked like a fortress, the inside was lavishly decorated with tapestries, sculptures, and decorated wooden ceilings.
ThePont d'Avignon, also known as thePont Saint-Bénézet, which crossed theRhône River between Avignon andVilleneuve-lès-Avignon became one of the wonders of themedieval world. The Romans had built a wooden bridge across the Rhône at the same point, which was replaced by a stone Romanesque bridge built between 1177 and 1185. That bridge, except for four arches, was swept away by a flood in 1226. A new bridge was constructed in theGothic style between 1234 and 1237, which was 900 metres long, resting on 22 arches. A chapel toSaint Nicholas, with two chapels, one Romanesque and the other Gothic, was located on the bridge fourth arch, where a toll was collected from voyagers in the form of a donation to the Saint.
During the Middle Ages the Avignon bridge was the only bridge across the Rhône betweenLyon and the mouth of the Rhône. It was also located on one of the main pilgrimage routes between Italy andSaint-Jacques-Compostelle. The bridge began to collapse in the 17th century, first one arch in 1603, then three more in 1605. These were repaired, but in 1669 a new flood carried away most of the bridge, leaving only four arches.[9]
As Roman authority crumbled in Provence, the region was flooded with invaders:Visigoths in the 5th century,Franks in the 6th century andArabs in the 8th century, and raids byBerber pirates and slavers. Rule eventually passed to the Counts ofToulouse and the Counts ofBarcelona (later Kings ofAragon).
Because of the repeated invasions, Provençal architecture was designed to resist attack. Monasteries were surrounded by towers and walls, and even the bishop's residence in Fréjus resembled a fortress. Castles on hilltops surrounded by walled towns became the characteristic architectural feature of Provence. Only in the 17th century, after theWars of Religion had ended and the French king had established his authority, were the towns of Provence safe from outside attack.
The village ofRoussillon, Vaucluse, in theLuberon area, has vestiges of a 10th-century château and an 11th-century church. It is famous for its pinkish and yellow stone; in the 18th century, mines around the town produced pigment to make the colorochre.
Les Baux-de-Provence, on a high rocky hilltop in theBouches-du-Rhône department, was inhabited as early as 6000 BC. and had aCeltic fort in the 2nd century AD. In theMiddle Ages, the Lords of Les Baux, who claimed ancestry back toBalthazar, one of theThree Kings of theNativity, ruled over a domain of 79 towns and villages. The Counts were deposed in the 12th century, the last princess died in the 15th century, and the town became part of France. In 1632, when the town became a Protestant stronghold,Cardinal Richelieu ordered castle and town walls destroyed.
Gordes, in theVaucluse, was originally a hilltop fort of the Celtic tribe of the Vordenses, then a Roman fort guarding the Roman road betweenCarpentras andApt. A castle was built by Guillaume d'Agoult in the 9th century, which dominated the valley. In the 13th century, the town joinedSavoy in a war against France. In the 14th century, during theHundred Years' War, the whole town was encircled by strong walls. In 1481, after the death ofRené I of Naples, Gordes was incorporated into France.
After Marseille was annexed to France byFrancois I in 1481, theChâteau d'if (1527–1529) was built on one of the islands of theFrioul archipelago in the Bay of Marseille to protect the city from attacks from the sea, and was soon turned into a prison. During theWars of Religion (1562–1598), it held some 3500Huguenots, or French Protestant prisoners. It is best known as the prison of the fictionalCount of Monte Cristo ofAlexandre Dumas, père.
TheChâteau of Tarascon, in theBouches-du-Rhône department, was begun in 1400 byLouis II of Anjou, and finished by his son,René.
TheCitadel ofSisteron, was built on a rocky spur overlooking theDurance River on the strategic route through the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea. A Roman fort and a feudal castle first occupied the site. Then, from 1590 to 1597,Jean Erard, the military architect of kingHenry IV, built a new kind of fortification designed to defeat armies with cannons and modern weapons. It featured walls laid out in a sawtooth pattern of recesses andsalients, so all parts of the wall could be covered by gunfire; terraces and trenches to slow approaching armies; and interior walls and fortified gates to subdivide the fortress and prevent attackers from capturing it all in one attack. Many of these features were adapted and improved a century later by the military architectVauban.
The age ofLouis XIV in Provence was marked by an increase in prosperity, after the destructive Wars of Religion in the previous century. The citizens of Arles built a new Hôtel de ville (town hall), designed by the Arles architect Jacques Peytret aided byJules Hardouin-Mansart, which had a large central court with a perfectly smooth vaulted ceiling, without a central column, supported entirely by the carefully joined stones resting on fineDoric columns. The Hôtel de ville symbolized the rise of the power of the bourgeoisie and showed that civil architecture could be as beautiful and powerful as religious architecture or royal palaces.[9]
TheToulon Opera, built in the flamboyant style of theFrench Second Empire, was begun at the same time as theParis Opéra ofCharles Garnier, and illustrated the importance of Toulon as the main base of the French Navy. The architect was Léon Feuchère. Construction was begun in 1860, and it opened in 1862. It boasted exceptional acoustics and seats for 1800 spectators, making it, after Paris, the second-largest opera house in France.
TheBasilica ofNotre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille was built between 1853 and 1864 on the highest point in the city in theneo-Byzantine style. It was finished ten years before its famous sister, theBasilica of Sacré-Coeur in Paris, was begun. It was designed by the architectHenri-Jacques Espérandieu. The main feature of the church is a 197-foot (60 m) belfry with a statue of the Virgin and Child, visible miles out to sea.
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The rural architecture of Provence features two distinctive types of farmhouses, themas and thebastide.
A mas a largely self-sufficient economic unit, which could produce fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, and even silk. The house was usually built of local stone with a sloping Roman tile roof, and was a long rectangle, two or three stories high, with the kitchen and space for animals on the ground floor, and bedrooms, storage space for food, and often a room for raising silkworms on the first floor. As the family grew larger, the mas would be extended to make new rooms. The mas nearly always faced the south, to provide protection from theMistral and it had few and very small windows, to keep out the summer heat and to keep in the heat in winter.[10][11]
A bastide was the house of a wealthier farmer, and usually was in the shape of a square, with an interior courtyard. In the 19th and 20th centuries many bastides were occupied by wealthy city residents from Marseille.
TheUnité d'habitation in Marseille, also known as the Cité radieuse de Marseille, designed by the architectCorbusier in 1946-1952, became one of the most influential buildings of the 20th century. Built of unfinished concrete (steel was not available because of the war), it had nineteen stories with 330 apartments of twenty different designs, along with shops, a restaurant, a hotel, clinic, sports facilities, a roof terrace, an outdoor auditorium, and a kindergarten. It was meant to be "a machine for living," with everything needed under a single roof. Corbusier built five versions of the Unité d'habitation, and it inspired similar buildings in other parts of France, Germany and in Britain; it became a model for new apartment buildings andpublic housing projects in the 1950s. It was praised and much criticized as the first example ofBrutalist architecture.[12]
Other buildings by Corbusier in Provence:
Notable 20th-century buildings in Provence include:
TheGare d'Avignon TGV is a new passenger train station, built on theLGV Méditerranée high-speed train line in South-easternFrance, inaugurated in 2001. It was designed by the cabinet of architecture of theSNCF under the direction ofJean-Marie Duthilleul andJean-François Blassel. Its Gothic arches echo the most famous landmark in Avignon, thePalais des Papes.