Open Travel Guide
History of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur History & Heritage Guide 2026

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur's past, on the ground: the sites, museums, and eras that explain what you're seeing.

By Updated

The short answer: start with Palais des Papes, Arènes d'Arles (Roman Amphitheatre) and Théâtre Antique d'Orange. This guide profiles 8+ historical sites in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, with prices, timing, and the practical notes that decide whether each one earns a place in your plan.

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is France's most sun-drenched region, stretching from the Rhône delta in the west to the Italian border in the east. It encompasses the world-famous French Riviera (Côte d'Azur) — Nice, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez — the ancient Provençal heartland of Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, Marseille's rugged port culture, the violet lavender plateaus of Valensole, the turquoise-water Calanques, and the dramatic Gorges du Verdon. With over 300 days of sunshine per year, the region is France's premier year-round destination.

Historical timeline

Key moments that shaped Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

  1. 1

    Greeks found Massalia (Marseille) — France's oldest city

    c. 600 BC
  2. 2

    Roman conquest of Provence; province called Gallia Transalpina or Provincia (origin of 'Provence')

    125–120 BC
  3. 3

    Roman building programme: Pont du Gard (19 BC), Théâtre d'Orange, Arènes d'Arles

    1st–2nd century AD
  4. 4

    Avignon Papacy — nine popes rule from the Palais des Papes; Great Schism follows

    1309–1377
  5. 5

    County of Provence bequeathed to the French Crown; Provence joins France

    1481
  6. 6

    British aristocrats begin wintering in Nice and Menton; 'Promenade des Anglais' takes shape

    1787
  7. 7

    Savoy plebiscite — Nice, Savoy, and Menton incorporated into France (from Sardinian Kingdom)

    1860
  8. 8

    German and Italian occupation; Marseille Resistance; Provence landings (August 1944) liberate the south

    1942–1944
  9. 9

    First Cannes Film Festival; Côte d'Azur becomes the world's most glamorous seaside destination

    1946

Historical sites

Places where Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur's past comes alive.

Medieval Gothic (14th century)

Palais des Papes

Where: Avignon, Vaucluse

Admission: €14 adult / approx USD 15; under 8 free; combined with Pont d'Avignon €15.50 / approx USD 17
Roman Imperial (1st–2nd century CE)

Arènes d'Arles (Roman Amphitheatre)

Where: Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône

Admission: €9 / approx USD 10; combined Arles monuments pass €18 / approx USD 20
Roman Imperial — Augustan period (late 1st century BCE – early 1st century CE)

Théâtre Antique d'Orange

Where: Orange, Vaucluse

Admission: €12 / approx USD 13
Roman Imperial (mid-1st century CE)

Pont du Gard

Where: Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard (30 min from Avignon)

Admission: Site free; parking €9 / approx USD 10; museum €10 / approx USD 11
Romanesque / Cistercian (12th–13th century)

Abbaye de Sénanque

Where: Gordes, Vaucluse

Admission: €8 / approx USD 9
Medieval — High and Late Middle Ages (10th–17th century)

Château des Baux (Les Baux-de-Provence ruins)

Where: Les Baux-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône

Admission: €11 / approx USD 12
Multi-period: Ancient Greek (c. 600 BCE) through Early Modern (17th century)

Fort Saint-Jean and MuCEM, Marseille

Where: Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône

Admission: Fort Saint-Jean free; MuCEM €11 / approx USD 12
Hellenistic to Roman Imperial (2nd century BCE – 3rd century CE)

Glanum Roman Site, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Where: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône

Admission: €7.50 / approx USD 8.20; combined with Van Gogh Saint-Rémy sites recommended

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