I was wondering if anyone could tell me the significance of the cigalle in Provence. We saw this bug depicted everywhere, in ceramics, linen, chocolates, you name it. Is it the agricultural menace everyone loves to hate, or is there a story behind this symbol? Mimi, I noticed it appears in your address. <BR>I was also wondering if anyone could point me toward info on the Occitane. I bought a pretty little cross and it was described as the Cross of the Occitaine, which is an order of Dominicans from what I can gather. I know there's a bath product line by this name as well - does it refer to a region? Rex? Thanks. My trip to Provence last month was brief but left a lingering hunger to know the place.

The cigale is the french name for the cicada. A fly -like insect with beautiful wings that sings the long hot summer with a voice like our cricket. It makes its home in the olive and pines trees. It has been praised in the poetry of Mistral the Nobel winner poet of Provence.A symbol/motif of Provence, it graces all sorts of products.<BR>Languedoc culture ans language is southern france when Mistral in 1854<BR>attempted to revive provencal as a medium for literature. The study of the language is now called occitan formally<BR>langue d'oc.

mimi, nice to see you back. long time no see.<BR><BR>karen

mimi-bonjour~C

Occitanie isn't a religious order, but the area of France where the Oc languages used to be spoken (well...you can still find some Occitan speakers, but on the overall these languages are dying), which is roughly the southern half of France.<BR><BR>The cross originally appeared on the arms of the counts of Toulouse, who came to symbolize Occitania for various historical reasons. It's now used as a "flag" by the occitan organizations (mainly cultural, but some of them have more political stances), especially in south-western France.

Don't the French also eat something called a cigalle? I seem to remeber something about a seafood called a cigalle de something?

Hi<BR><BR>Occitan is an old language, used between Rousillon (Catalan) and Provence (Provencaal).<BR><BR>Many town names and street name are derived from Occitan.<BR>Some towns put French and Occitan names on the streets and town limits.<BR><BR>Read about Languedoc at my home page -<BR><BR>tlp.netfirms.com<BR><BR>There is a net site called Occitania which may be interesting -<BR><BR>http://www.occitania.fr/som/index.htm<BR><BR>These small languages are increasing.<BR>Catalan is a first Language in NE Spain and widely spoken in Rousillon. Even Yahoo has a Catalan version -<BR><BR>http://ct.yahoo.com/<BR><BR>Older people in my village (Languedoc) speak some Occitan.<BR><BR>Peter<BR><BR>

To "Yuck" :<BR><BR>Yes, there is a cigale de mer. It looks rather like a lobster without claws.... Tastes like crawfish. <BR><BR>PB