Provence is a former Roman province and is now a region of southeastern France, located on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to France's border with Italy. It is now part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The traditional region of Provence encompasses the départements of Var, Vaucluse, and Bouches-du-Rhône in addition to parts of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes.Provence is bounded by the Alps to the east and the Rhône River to the west, with the Mediterranean Sea providing its southern border. It has an unusually varied physical aspect, with landscapes ranging from fertile plains in the Rhône valley, to mountains in the east (notably Mont Ventoux, the Luberon and the Alpilles) and marshlands in the south (the Camargue).The Principality of Monaco is nestled between Nice and Italy. Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon and Arles are other cities of importance in Provence. Marseille is by far the largest city in Provence, and is the chef-lieu (capital city) of both the Bouches-du-Rhône département and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur région.The climate of Provence is typically Mediterranean, warm and dry. The Mistral is a strong, cold wind from the north that occurs mostly in the winter and spring .
