Provençal to her bones

Actress Andréa Ferréol, from Aix-en-Provence, is a great-great-granddaughter of Frédéric Mistral, the famous poet of the Occitan language. She gave us her definition of ‘Provençal’.

By Andréa Ferréol

As a Provençal, I feel a deep and very close link with that identity. It’s a precious heritage that permeates every fibre of my being. It’s as if the memories and stories of my illustrious ancestor resonated in me.

Being Provençal means having a deep respect for nature, an attachment to the fertile earth that nourished our forebears over the centuries. It means loving Mediterranean cooking, the endless olive groves and the roar of the mistral. It also means an unshakeable love of conviviality, the festive traditions that punctuate our lives and the vibrant festivals that celebrate our rich heritage with music and dance.

To be Provençal isn’t just to know one’s folklore, it’s to cherish it and share it. ‘Sharing’ has always been my byword, and that’s why I founded the Flâneries d’Art Contemporain festival in Aix-en-Provence. It’s held in June: three outstanding private gardens let the public in to enjoy the plastic arts, paintings, sculptures, pottery, music, dance, opera and literature. Being Provençal in 2024 it’s being guardian of a collective memory and bearer of a cultural torch that lights up the path to the future. It’s being rooted in the land while reaching towards the future, a delicate balance between heritage and innovation. It’s being a living link between past and present, drawing on an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Most of all, it’s having an unfailing love for the blessed land that is Provence.