Adventures Online: A Journey Through the Many Faces of Provence

Activity note: All times noted are Eastern Time. Today’s session will begin at 2:00 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. The day before each session, the instructors will send a handout by email that will accompany the lecture. They will also recommend any extra reading or background research that could complement the day’s themes.

Afternoon: 2:00 p.m. We will gather with our Study Leaders — Caroline Buizza and Martin Penicaud — for an Orientation session (one-half hour) to address technical matters and group introductions. Caroline & Martin are both from Lyon, capital city of the Roman Gauls and French cuisine. Caroline is a certified lecturer who studied art history at the Louvre School and who loves history and architecture. Martin has been going to Provence for more than 30 years and has explored its many wonders. 2:30 p.m. Lecture (one-half hour). Caroline and Martin will present Provence as a treat for all the senses, focusing on Provençal culture and art de vivre — the art of living. 3:00 p.m. On our first virtual field trip (one hour), we will journey from Aix to the back country. We will gain an appreciation for some of the many charms of Provence such as wines and cuisine, local markets, lavender, typical crafts, architecture, the Camargue, and distinctive sites including Lacoste, Bonnieux, Lourmarin, Gordes, Roussillon, and Apt. We will conclude the afternoon with a Q&A and discussion session (one-half hour) focusing on Provençal literature. A handout for tomorrow will be sent via email after the session. Today’s program will end at 4:30 p.m.

Activity note: All times noted are Eastern Time. Today’s session will begin at 2:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon: 2:00 p.m. Lecture (one-half hour). Caroline and Martin will address the Roman heritage. Is Provence a Roman invention? We will learn about the Romans in Gaul and the Gallic Wars. 2:30 p.m. We will then go on a virtual field trip (one hour) to explore the Gallo Roman wonders of southern France. Highlights will include the ancient Roman theatre of Orange, the best preserved in Europe and a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site; and Nîmes with its wonderfully well preserved Roman Arena/Amphitheatre still in use today and the exceptional Maison Carrée (Square House) temple. From Arles, we will see Roman monuments including the Amphitheatre, built not long after the Colosseum in Rome and far better preserved; the Baths of Constantine; the “cryptoportiques” that formed the base of the ancient Forum, constructed in the first century BCE; and the Alyscamps necropolis outside the old city walls. We will be able to appreciate the genius of Roman architects in the Pont Du Gard, also dating from the end of the first century BCE and considered a magnificent work of art. More than 31 miles (50 km) long, it carried water to the Roman colony of Nemausus, now known as Nîmes. We will conclude the afternoon with an interactive Q&A session (one-half hour) on the Roman legacy today. A handout for tomorrow will be sent via email after the session. Today’s program will end at 4:00 p.m.

Activity note: All times noted are Eastern Time. Today’s session will begin at 2:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon: 2:00 p.m. Our Study Leaders will give us a lecture on Provence in the era of medieval abbeys and cathedrals. 2:30 p.m. Our virtual field trip will begin with the abbey of Notre-Dame de Sénanque, founded in 1148. Today, it is the home of monks who cultivate lavender, olive trees, honey, and provide hospitality. We will then explore the Cathédrale Saint-Trophime and its cloister in Arles dating from the late 11th century, part of UNESCO’s designation of Arles’ Roman and Romanseque monuments as a World Heritage Site. Tradition says the Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur in Aix-en-Provence was built on what had been a pagan sacred site and replaced by a temple to Apollo. Its construction stretched over seven centuries with styles encompassing Roman, Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque. Our virtual field trip will continue to the walled city of Aigues-Morte in the Camargue. It was the starting point for the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX, later Saint Louis, in 1248. Aigues-Morte became an important center of salt mining and its massive ramparts remain in place. The so-called “Babylonian Captivity” took place in the 14th century when King Philip IV of France succeeded in moving the Holy See to Avignon. We will see the amazing Palais des Papes — Palace of the Popes. Finally for today, we will see beautiful Les Baux de Provence and Tarascon. Archaeologists estimate that human settlement here began around 6000 BCE. Different monarchs fought for control over the centuries. Fortified Les Baux was eventually brought into the Kingdom of France. Tarascon on the Rhône River has an equally complicated history as well as crenelated walls. We will have a Q&A session and discussion about Provence as a land of myths and legends. Today’s program will end at 4:00 p.m.

Activity note: All times noted are Eastern Time. Today’s session will begin at 2:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

Evening: 2:00 p.m. We’ll have a lecture (one-half hour) on painting in Provence, a world of light and colors. Its extraordinary natural beauty, varied landscapes, characteristic villages, architecture, and fascinating people have attracted artists since the 15th century. 2:30 p.m. Our virtual field trip (one hour) will take us in the footsteps of some of the most notable painters who have created great art such as Cézanne in Aix en Provence and Van Gogh in Arles, as well as those who favored the French Riviera including Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Duffy, Braque, Monet, and Renoir. To wrap up, we will have a Q&A and discussion session (one-half hour) focusing on the artistic revolution at the turn of the 20th century. This concludes our on-line journey through the many faces of Provence.