Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur History

Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur is a major tourist center for French and foreigners. But how has it become a worldwide center for festivals and holidays? This short summary of the region's history should help us to understand its origins...

The Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region is a major prehistoric site. In fact, several million years B.C. the region was already inhabited by man. Three areas, where traces of prehistoric human activity, can be emphasized: 400,000 years B.C. the first homes were built around the beaches of Terra Amata in Nice.

The Ligurian Celts were the first inhabitants, their history is told through numerous dolmens and castellaras revealed by archaeology. About 600 years B.C. the Phocaeans set up home in Marseille and settled Antipolis and Nikkaia, now Antibes and Nice.

Land of welcome and diversity, the PACA region is multicultural with its population from all the Mediterranean Basin. Between Alps and the Mediterranean, the region offers magnific landscapes: gorges, national and regional parks and peacks culminating at a 3000 meters height in the Italian border. The olive trees, orchards and vines lie alongside the first French microelectronic complex.