Southern France
Geographical area of France
- 2 min read
- 4 chapters
Related on Lably
Through Regions of France, Atlantic Ocean and Italy
The colloquial French name for the region, le Midi, is derived from an Old French compound composed of mi ("middle") and di ("day"), meaning literally "midday". Thus, the term is comparable in both origin and meaning to Mezzogiorno, which indicates southern Italy, and Romanian Miazăzi which is a synonym for south – the direction of the Sun at "midday".
Geography
The area corresponds in large part to Occitania in southern Europe, the historical and cultural region in which Occitan (French: langue d'oc), as distinct from the langues d'oïl of northern France, was the predominant language. Despite being part of Occitania, the regions of Auvergne and Limousin are not normally considered part of southern France. The largest cities of southern France are Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nice and Montpellier. The Pyrenees and French Alps are also located in the area, in respectively its southwestern and eastern parts. Corsica, which is south of Continental France and just north of Sardinia, Italy, may also be included.
Sign in to keep reading
3 more chapters are free with a Lably account.
Tourism
Notable touristic landmarks include the Roman-era Pont du Gard and the Arena of Nîmes; the Verdon Gorge, in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; the Canal du Midi, linking Toulouse by to the Mediterranean Sea; and the natural regions of Larzac, Luberon and Camargue. The French Riviera is in southern France's southeastern quadrant. Several towns in southern France are renowned for their architecture and surroundings, such as Roussillon, Ménerbes, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Gordes, Rocamadour, Rennes-le-Château, Les Baux-de-Provence, Lourmarin, Gassin, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Seillans, Crillon-le-Brave and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
Cuisine
Southern France has a cuisine that is different from those of northern France and other Mediterranean countries. The major difference from the rest of France is in the use of olive oil, instead of butter. Local agriculture supplies the olives for consumption as well as cooking, the ducks and geese to make foie gras, haricot beans that are used in cassoulet, the sheep whose milk produces Roquefort cheese, tomatoes and melons. To accompany the richer food, the area also supplies much stronger wines, from Bordeaux, Cahors, Madiran, and Languedoc, all of which are washed down with brandy from Armagnac.
Films
The following films are set in southern France:
- To Catch a Thief (1955)
- Summer Holiday (1963)
- Pierrot le Fou (1965)
- The Sucker (1965)
- Lacombe, Lucien (1974)
- French Connection II (1975)
- Never Say Never Again (1983)
- Under the Cherry Moon (1986)
- Jean de Florette (1986)
- Manon des Sources (1986)
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
- Happiness Is in the Field (1995)
- GoldenEye (1995)
- Taxi (1998)
- Chocolat (2000)
- The Transporter (2002)
- Swimming Pool (2003)
- Le Grand Voyage (2004)
- Priceless (2006)
- The Grocer's Son (2007)
- Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007)
- Amer (2009)
- Magic in the Moonlight (2014)
- Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)