Occitania
Occitania is the historical land of the Occitan language and troubadour culture.
Occitania is a historical region in southern Europe where the Occitan language has been spoken since the Middle Ages and persists today as a local language. It roughly encompasses much of the southern third of France (except the French Basque Country and French Catalonia), as well as part of Spain (Aran Valley), Monaco, and parts of Italy (Occitan Valleys). The concept of Occitania has been recognized as a linguistic and cultural entity since medieval times, and its name derives from a portmanteau of 'òc' (the Occitan word for 'yes') and 'Aquitània'.
- Population (current)
- 16 million
- Native or proficient Occitan speakers
- 200,000 to 800,000
- Area
- approximately 190,000 km²
- Historical names
- Septem Provinciae, Aquitanica, Visigothic Kingdom of Toulouse, Duchy of Aquitaine
- Official status
- Occitan has been an official language in Catalonia since 2006 (Aran Valley since 1990)
- Administrative region named Occitanie
- created 28 September 2016, merging Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon
Lore & Background
Occitania's territory was united in Roman times as the Seven Provinces (Septem Provinciae) and in the Early Middle Ages as Aquitanica or the Visigothic Kingdom of Toulouse. Under the late Roman Empire, both Aquitania and Provincia Romana were grouped in the Seven Provinces. The historic Duchy of Aquitaine should not be confused with the modern French region of Aquitaine, which is why the term Occitania was revived in the mid-19th century. The terms 'Occitania' and 'Occitan language' (Occitana lingua) appeared in Latin texts from as early as 1242–1254 to 1290, and the area was referred to as 'the country of the Occitan language' (Patria Linguae Occitanae).
Reader's Guide
Occitania's significance lies in its role as the heartland of medieval troubadour culture, where writers and poets used Occitan to produce works featuring courtly love and ideas of religious and social tolerance. The region's linguistic and cultural identity has persisted despite political changes, and the Occitan language remains a marker of local identity for a minority of the population. The term Occitania has been revived in modern times to denote both a historical cultural area and, since 2016, a French administrative region (Occitanie) that covers only a small part of the traditional territory. The first sociological study in the Occitan language (begun in 1976) found that 95% of respondents defined Occitan reality by language, 94% by culture, 69% by a common history, 50% by an ethnic group, and 20% by a nation. The extent of Occitania varies according to criteria: geolinguistic definitions focus on modern Occitan-speaking areas, while historical and anthropological definitions extend north to the Loire River, including former Occitanophone regions.
Did You Know?
- The name Occitania is a portmanteau of 'òc' (the Occitan word for 'yes') and 'Aquitània', likely coined by a French clerk.
- Dante Alighieri referred to the Occitan language as 'Lingua d'òc' in the late 13th century.
- The seven-pointed star adopted as emblem by the Felibritge symbolized the seven provinces of Occitania, one of which was Catalonia.
- Occitan has been an official language in Catalonia since 2006, and in the Aran Valley since 1990.
More in French Regions 1-21
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