Salon-de-Provence (, ; oc, label= Provençal Occitan, Selon de Provença/Seloun de Provènço, ), commonly known as Salon, is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

located about northwest of

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

in the

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and large ...

department,

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pref ...

Southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French language, French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi ...

. It is the home of an important

French Air and Space Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...

(''Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace'')

air base An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...

. In 2017, it had a population of 45,528.

History

Salon was a

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretchi ...

well positioned on the salt trade routes between

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

seas, hence its name. This region was under the

Phocaea Phocaea or Phokaia (Ancient Greek: Φώκαια, ''Phókaia''; modern-day Foça in Turkey) was an ancient Ionia Ionia () was an ancient region on the western coast of Anatolia, to the south of present-day Izmir. It consisted of the northern ...

n influence since the sixth century BC, and stretches of the

Via Aurelia The ''Via Aurelia'' (Latin for "Aurelian Way") is a Roman road in Italy constructed in approximately 241 BC. The project was undertaken by Gaius Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor.Hornblower, Simon, & Antony Spawforth. ''The Oxford Cl ...

can still be recognized just outside the town, but the earliest mention of the place under its familiar name is of the ninth century, as ''Villa Salone''. The archbishops of Arles controlled the site. Its principal claim to fame today is as the place where

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection o ...

spent his last years and is buried. His dwelling is maintained as a museum, and for four days every June or July, the city celebrates its history during the time of Nostradamus, attracting tourists. The historic center still lies within its circuit of walls, entered through two seventeenth-century gateways, the ''Porte de l'Horloge'' and the ''Port Bourg Neuf''. In 1559 the engineer

Adam de Craponne Adam de Craponne (; 1526–1576) was a French engineer. He built the eponymous Canal de Craponne to irrigate the ''Désert de la Crau''. He was poisoned while fortifying Nantes for King Henry III of France during the French Wars of Religion Ea ...

opened the ''

Canal de Craponne The Canal de Craponne, Craponne canal, is a canal in the Pélissanne commune of the Bouches-du-Rhône department of France. It was originally conceived and built between 1554 and 1559 by the engineer Adam de Craponne to bring fresh water 25km fro ...

'' to bring fresh water from the river

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .plain of Crau. Inexpensive freight brought commerce to Salon, and the town prospered.

Sights

Château de l'Emperi

The castle, which was the biggest in

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...

during the 12th and 13th centuries and was mentioned as early as the tenth, still dominates the old town. It was the preferred residence of the bishops of

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province of ...

, when Provence was part of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

, hence its name. It became the property of the city after the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. After damage caused by the 1909 earthquake, it has been restored and now hosts a museum of military history. Every summer, it hosts an international classical music festival.

Fontaine Moussue

The fountain in Place Crousillat has existed since the 16th century. During the 20th century, limestone concretions and vegetation developed, giving the familiar mushroom aspect.

St Michel Chapel

Built during the 13th century, this chapel boasts a remarkable Romanesque tympanum featuring the paschal lamb.

Collégiale Saint Laurent

The current edifice was erected during 15th century by Cardinal

Louis Aleman Louis Aleman (16 September 1450) was a French Roman Catholic cardinal and a professed member of the now-suppressed Canons Regular of Saint John Baptist. He served as the Archbishop of Arles from 1423 until his resignation in 1440 when he had resi ...

, who was then bishop of Arles.

Salon-de-Provence Air Base

Salon-de-Provence Air Base Salon-de-Provence Air Base (french: Base aérienne 701 Salon-de-Provence, links=no or BA 701) is a base of the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) located south Salon-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône in southern France. ...

is the site of the

French Air Force Academy French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

, as well as the home of the French Aerial Demonstration team, the

Patrouille de France ), 1st Commandant of the Patrouille de France as of the official Aerial presentation on 14 September 1953, Commander of the 13th Aerial Brigade, World War II Veteran with 165 war missions. , identification_symbol= , identification_symbol_lab ...

Market

Every Wednesday the Place Morgan is host to a Provençal market.

Culture

Each summer, the

Château de l'Empéri The Château de l'Empéri is a 9th-century castle built on the rock of Puech which dominates the immense plain of Crau in the ''commune'' of Salon-de-Provence in the Bouches-du-Rhône ''département'' of France. It is listed as a '' monument hi ...

hosts a festival of

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

. Some years the Château is the venue for ''Nostradamiques'' – an historical re-enactment of the time of Nostradamus which includes processions and a transformation of the old medieval downtown. One such re-enactment was performed by the television presenter

Jean-Pierre Foucault Jean-Pierre Foucault (; born 23 November 1947 in Marseille) is a French television and radio host. He was born in Marseille, his mother was Jewish. He was the host of '' Qui Veut Gagner des Millions ?'', the French version of ''Who Wants to Be a ...

. In 2006

Robert Hossein Robert Hossein (30 December 1927 – 31 December 2020) was a French film actor, director, and writer. He directed the 1982 adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' and appeared in '' Vice and Virtue'', '' Le Casse'', '' Les Uns et les Autres'' and '' ...

compered the closing ceremony of the re-enactment.

Personalities

Abba Mari ben Eligdor Abba Mari ben Eligdor (also called Sen (or Senior) Astruc de Noves) was a distinguished Talmudist, an eminent philosopher, a member of the Astruc family and an able physicist and astronomer who flourished in the fourteenth century in Salon-de-Pro ...

(fl.1335), distinguished Talmudist, philosopher, resident 14th Century *

(1503–1566), resident 1547–66, place of death * Miquèu Tronc (16th century),

Occitan language Occitan (; oc, occitan, link=no ), also known as ''lenga d'òc'' (; french: langue d'oc) by its native speakers, and sometimes also referred to as ''Provençal'', is a Romance languages, Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Ital ...

writer *

Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet (November 4, 1720 – May 6, 1778) was a French pharmacist, botanist and one of the earliest botanical explorers in South America.JSTOR He was one of the first botanists to study ethnobotany in the Neotr ...

(1720–1778), French botanist and explorer, birthplace *

Joan Montseny Joan Montseny i Carret (1864–1942), who also wrote under the pseudonym Federico Urales, was a Catalan anarchist activist and journalist from Spain. Early life and career Joan Montseny was born in Reus, Spain, in 1864. He was originally ...

(1864-1942), Catalan anarchist, place of death *

Charles Trenet Louis Charles Augustin Georges Trenet (; 18 May 1913 – 19 February 2001) was a renowned French singer-songwriter who composed both the music and the lyrics to nearly a thousand songs over a career that lasted more than 60 years. These include ...

(1913-2001), French singer, resident for military reasons, 1939–1940 *

Romain Gary Romain Gary (; 2 December 1980), born Roman Kacew (, and also known by the pen name Émile Ajar), was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II aviator. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt under two names. He i ...

(1914–1980), French novelist and pilot, learnt to fly with military in Salon-de-Provence before Nazi occupation of France *

Patrick Baudry Patrick Pierre Roger Baudry (born March 6, 1946 in Cameroon) is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the French Air Force and a former CNES astronaut. In 1985, he became the second French citizen in space, after Jean-Loup Chrétien, when he flew ab ...

(1946-), and

Léopold Eyharts Léopold "Leo" Eyharts (born April 28, 1957) is a French Brigadier General in the French Air Force, an engineer and ESA astronaut. He has flown to space two times as part of a Mir expedition and an International Space Station expedition. Eyhar ...

(1957-), French

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

s, military training *

Daniel Goossens Daniel Goossens, born May 16, 1954, in Salon-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône is a French comics artist. Biography Goossens began his career in the magazine '' Pionniers''. After a short spell at ''Pilote'' magazine, he began contributing to the ...

(1954-), Cartoonist, birthplace *

Christine Boisson Christine Boisson (born 8 April 1956) is a French actress. Biography After she registered in a model agency, Just Jaeckin liked her photo, and she got a part in the film ''Emmanuelle'' starring Sylvia Kristel, in which she played a lollipop-su ...

(1956-), French actor, birthplace *

Franck Esposito Franck Esposito (born 13 April 1971 in Salon-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône) is a former World Record holding, and four-time Olympic, butterfly swimmer from France. He swam for France at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics; and won the bronze me ...

(1971-), French swimmer, birthplace *

Michaël N'dri Michaël N'dri (; born 1 November 1984) is a former France, French professional association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Club career N'dri played in his youth career for FC Salon de Provence and V ...

(1984-), footballer, birthplace and early Football career *

Simon Porte Jacquemus Simon Porte Jacquemus (born 16 January 1990) is a French fashion designer and the founder of the Jacquemus fashion label. Early life Jacquemus was born in Salon-de-Provence, France into a relatively poor family of farmers; his father occasional ...

(1990-), Fashion Designer

Twin towns – sister cities

Salon-de-Provence is twinned with: *

Blanzy-la-Salonnaise Blanzy-la-Salonnaise () is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Ardennes department The following is a list of the 449 communes of the Ardennes department of France. The commu ...

, France *

Aranda de Duero Aranda de Duero is a city and municipality, capital of the Ribera del Duero comarca, in the south of the province of Burgos, in Castile and León, Spain. It has a population of roughly 33,000 people and lies on the River Duero. The closest int ...

, Spain *

Gubbio Gubbio () is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria). It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennines. History The city's origins are very ancient. ...

, Italy *

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Godmanchester Godmanchester ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is separated from Huntingdon, to the north, by the valley of the River Great Ouse. Being on the Roman road network, the town has a lo ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Szentendre Szentendre () is a riverside town in Pest County, Hungary, between the capital city Budapest and Pilis Mountains, Pilis-Visegrád Mountains. The town is known for its museums (most notably the :hu: Szentendrei Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum, Open- ...

, Hungary *

Wertheim am Main Wertheim ( East Franconian: ''Wärde'') is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of around 23,400. It is located on the confluence of the rivers Tauber and Main. Wertheim is best known for its l ...

, Germany

Gallery

Image:Emperi.jpg,

courtyard Image:Fontaine Moussue.jpg, Fontaine Moussue by night Image:StMichel.jpg, St Michel, inside Image:Tympanum, Eglise St-Michel, Salon-de-Provence.JPG, Tympanum, Eglise St-Michel Image:Salon Saint Laurent.jpg, Collégiale Saint Laurent, after 2008/2009 restorations Image:Jardin de la République, Salon-de-Provence.JPG, Jardin de la République Image:Sausages,_Wednesday_market,__Salon-de-Provence.JPG, Sausages, market at Place Morgan Image:Mushrooms,_Wednesday_market,__Salon-de-Provence.JPG, Mushrooms, market at Place Morgan Image:Paella,_Wednesday_market,__Salon-de-Provence.JPG, Paella, market at Place Morgan