Winds of Provence

• the Mistral, a cold dry north or northwest wind, which blows down through the Rhone Valley to the Mediterranean, and can reach speeds of ninety kilometers an hour.
• the Levant, a very humid east wind, which brings moisture from the eastern Mediterranean.
• the Tramontane, a strong, cold and dry north wind, similar to the Mistral, which blows from the Massif Central mountains toward the Mediterranean to the west of the Rhone.
• the Marin, a strong, wet and cloudy south wind, which blows in from the Gulf of Lion.
• the Sirocco, a southeast wind coming from the Sahara desert in Africa, can reach hurricane force, and brings either reddish dust or heavy rains.

• Tramontane = Tramuntana
• Levant = Llevant
• Mistral = Mestral

  Winds in Provençal culture

• The winds of Provence, particularly the Mistral, have long had an influence on the architecture of Provence. The mas traditionally faces southeast, with its back to the Mistral, and many Provençal churches have open iron grill bell towers, which allow the Mistral wind to pass through.
• The traditional Provençal Christmas creche often features one santon, or Provençal character, holding his hat and wearing a cape billowing from the Mistral.
• The Mistral also features in Provençal literature, and in the more recent novels of Marcel Pagnol.

  Names of the Winds of Provence (by points of the compass)

• Tramontane
• Vent droit
• Montagnére
• Brise Noire
• Gregale
• Lombarde
• Levant-Grégale
• Auro-Bruno
• Levant
• Auro-rosso
• Vent blanc
• Leveche
• Autan
• Sirocco
• Simoun
• Embat
• Marin
• Vent de bas
• Chili
• Vent du Large
• Labech
• Libeccio
• Garbi
• Cierco
• Ponent
• Traverse
• Maestro
• Galerne
• Mistral
• Traverse-haute
• Brise
• Auro-Drecho