Journeying through Southern France in the first years of the 20th century, Theodore Andrea Cook discovers a landscape where the presence of Phoenicians, Greeks & Romans is still evident in the Mediterranean`s surviving architecture. In Arles, Nimes, Orange & Frejus, he witnesses the wonders of Roman arenas, temples & monuments. At the imposing aqueduct of the Pont du Gard he sees the genius of Roman engineering. Cook`s survey of Provencal history also encompasses the Middle Ages, when religious conflict & bloody warfare scarred the region. At Les Baux he explores the ruins of a once-great stronghold; in Avignon he traces the footsteps of 14th-century popes in their palace; in Beaucaire & Tarascon he visits the sites of thriving medieval market towns & royal castles. First published in 1905, this is an insight not only into the area`s history & architecture, but also its literary & cultural significance. Looking at the work & influence of writers such as Petrarch & Mistral, Cook reveals the importance of language, romance & regional identity in Provence.