Université de Provence 19 and 20 November 2010, Aix-en-Provence, France

Well before it invaded the glossy pages of tourist brochures and real estate catalogues, Provence developed over the centuries as a complex fabric of territorial, cultural and linguistic threads. Historically, Provençal identity is rooted in its Greek (VII-VI centuries BC) and Roman past (II century BC-476 AD), by early Christianisation (AD 40) as well as by the international radiance of its medieval glory– from the poetics of the Troubadours to 14th century Papal Avignon and the 15th century splendour of King René’s court. Fiercely opposed to 16th century attempts at centralisation, Provence has long developed antidotes to Parisian assimilation and cultural uniformity, preserving its own idioms and customs, sometimes actively promoting them, as in the 19th century Félibrige experience. And yet, it has always been outward-looking too, and has capitalised on its position at the crossroads of North and South, East and West. Geographically, Provence extends from the so-called “Rhodanian” plains (comtat Venaissin, Crau, Camargue) to the limestone and ochre hills, not to mention the coast stretching from the Rhône river to the Italian border, and the famous French Riviera. In linguistic terms, Provençal belongs to the “langue d’oc” or southern dialects spoken East of the Rhône river. Provençal landscapes, colours and lights certainly linked the region with modernity, making it one of the cradles of modern art and avant-garde poetry, as well as a choice location for literary and artistic circles.
This multifarious Provence is what this conference wishes to address, exploring its interaction with the British imagination, and trying to chart a territory which is yet to be convincingly mapped.

Possible themes to be considered include:
Grand Tour accounts, travel books or guidebooks, travel letters and diaries, sketches, images, maps
Provençal poets and troubadours/ Linguistic and poetic approaches
Camargue and gipsy lore
Sensorial experiences: sounds, smells and tastes of Provence as well as visual experience
Customs, inhabitants, landscapes and monuments
Greek and Roman antiquities
The politics of resistance
Folklore and provincialism
Aesthetics and trade
Literary and visual representations (shaping, framing, bricolage, describing, naming)
Provence and mass culture
Transport and the perception of Provence
The reception of British art on Provence

Papers will be in English. Please submit proposals in English (300 words) and short speaker biographies no later than 30 June 2010 to Béatrice Laurent (beatrice.laurent@iufm-martinique.fr)