The Spirit of Languedoc-Roussillon

Travellers to the southwestern French Mediterranean area will probably visit the well-known regional centres of Nimes, Montpellier, Carcassonne and Perpignan, which are the main cities of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, comprising the departments of Lozere, Gard, Herault, Aude and Pyrenees-Orientales. This sun-drenched place was the cradle of Roman Gaul, and spawned the wine co-operatives and denim, the world's staple clothing material. It is the birthplace of iconic singers such as Charles Treneet and Georges Brassens, and the poet-pholosopher Paul Valery. Its coast curves round towards Spain from where the Catalan influence springs. Collectively, this is France's largest and olest vineyard, and among the largest in the world. Here bulls and horses are a passion, local rugby clubs are among the best in the country, and the memory of rebels against northern French rule - Cathars, Protestant Camisards, rebelling wine-growers, Resistance fighters - is not forgotten. It is a strongly defined region: a place of contrasts and cultural heritage with its Occitan and Catalan-driven Mediterranean lifestyle. It is today the most attractive area in France, with a population of nearly three million, though it does have its economic problems. This book was inspired by the Author's former students of French, who wanted to learn more about the character and background of regional people. Consequently quotations from real-life Languedocians and Catalans in French, Occitan and English appear together with extracts from the literature of past and present writers. These examples offer an intriguing and educational insight into the area.