Occitania

Occitania is a historical and cultural region in Europe where the Occitan language has been traditionally spoken. Its geographic scope is not defined by modern borders, but it roughly covers the southern third of present-day France and extends to adjacent areas where Occitan influence persists, including the Aran Valley in Catalonia and parts of the Alpine region of Italy. The term is used to reflect linguistic and cultural continuity rather than a single political entity.

The Occitan language, also known as langue d’oc, is a Romance language with several dialect groups such as Provençal, Languedocien, Gascon, Auvergnat, Limousin, and Vivaro-Alpine. It developed as a literary and everyday language in medieval Occitania and was the vehicle of the troubadours. Today, Occitan is regarded as a minority language in need of preservation, with ongoing revival efforts in education, media, and regional culture.

Historically, Occitania was a flourishing center of culture and learning during the Middle Ages, particularly known for its troubadour poetry and courtly culture centered in cities like Toulouse, Montpellier, and centers in Gascony and Languedoc. The early 13th century Albigensian Crusade and related political changes contributed to the decline of autonomous regional power, but the region’s linguistic and cultural legacy endured in literature, place names, music, and regional identity.

In modern France, the term Occitanie designates an administrative region created in 2016 by merging Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées; Toulouse is a major city within this area. The broader concept of Occitania remains in use in cultural, historical, and political discourse, with various associations promoting language revitalization and regional identity.