Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7. UNION WITH FRANCE
In 1486 King René of Naples, the last of the Anjou dynasty who ruled Provence from
1246, died without issue, and most of the region became part of France. Nice and
the Alpes Maritimes, however, remained part of the Kingdom of Savoy, before finally
passing to France in 1860.
8. PLAGUE AND WAR
In the second half of the 16th century religious strife erupted in the Luberon between
reforming Vaudois (Huguenot) factions and conservative Catholic forces. The plague
of 1580 added to the region's woes.
9. LA MARSEILLAISE
When the French Revolution erupted in 1789, the people of Marseille were among
its staunchest supporters, marching to a tune that became known as La Marseillaise,
now France's national anthem.
10. RESISTANCE AND LIBERATION
After the Nazi invasion of 1940, Provence was ruled by the collaborationist Vichy
government, until it was occupied by Germany in 1942. Guerrilla fighters in the
ma-
quis
(scrubland) resisted the Occupation. On 15 August 1944, Allied troops landed,
liberating Provence after two weeks of fighting.
Top 10 Figures in History
1. Julius Caesar
Caesar besieged Marseille after its citizens sided with his rival Pompey in 49 BC.
2. Francois Grimaldi
Grimaldi disguised his soldiers as monks in order to seize Monaco in 1297.
