One of the oldest, continually functioning city academies of Europe was founded in 1323 in Toulouse as the Consistory del Gay Saber (“Consistory of Joyous Knowledge”). Founded by seven troubadours, it was intended to cultivate courtly lyricism and to maintain the troubadour tradition. In its poetic contests (the first held in 1324) participants had to express themselves in the Occitan language and the winner was awarded a golden violet. Over the centuries, Occitan was gradually superseded by French; the name of the Consistory was changed into Collège de la Science et Art de la Rhétorique. In 1694, it was placed under the protection of King Louis XIV, who gave it the status of an Académie. Abolished by the Revolution, the Académie was restored under the Consulate, in time to catch the rising tide of Romanticism and a fresh vogue for troubadour poetry. In 1820, Victor Hugo was awarded a golden lily, Chateaubriand in 1821. In 1878, the first prize was awarded to a poet writing in Provençal – Frédéric Mistral – for the first time after a centuries-long interval; it was not until 1895 that specific prizes for poetry in Occitan language were restored.

It was this tenuous but newly burgeoning tradition that was invoked by seven young Provinçal poets (Mistral among them), who in 1854, on St Estelle’s Day (21 May), founded the Félibrige, an association for defending and promoting Provençal language and literature. The Félibrige attributed particular importance to external emblems and rituals. In similar fashion to the troubadours, the félibres wore a cicada on their hats; and the idea of celebrating St Estelle’s Day every year in a different town was reminiscent of the ancient tradition of the états provinciaux taking place successively in the various towns under their jurisdiction. The Félibrige articles of association set out the meticulous rituals to be followed by the félibres in their ceremonies. The 1862 articles stipulated that every year the félibres would meet in a solemn session in a town of their choice. During these public meetings, which were called Jeux Floraux (“Floral Games”), those who had best expressed their sentiments on Félibrige subjects were awarded prizes and mentions of honour (articles 5 & 6). The 1876 articles stipulated that there should be an assembly on each St Estelle’s Day, and a general assembly every seventh year, when the prizes of Grands Jeux Floraux were bestowed, as well as the emblem of Mastery in Joyous Knowledge (Gay Saber). As the félibres considered themselves the successors of the troubadours, they also placed great store on the chivalrous worship of women, and revived it as their greatest virtue. (The format of the Floral Games had, in fact, been revived after the Toulouse model as early as 1854 in Barcelona, where they became a very important manifestation of Catalan literature over the following decades.)

Other Occitan cultural festivities dealt with the celebration of the Latin idea. Because of their common ancient history and the similarities between their languages, poets from southern France and Catalonia joined in celebrating their “national revivals” on the occasion of literary symposia. The first “official” celebration of the Latin idea goes back to 1874, when festivities were organized in Vaucluse and Avignon to honour the memory of Francesco Petrarca, who was considered the figurehead of Latinity. The occasion for this celebration was the fifth centenary of the death of the great poet. The main promoter of the 1874 Petrarch celebrations was the félibre Léon Berluc-Pérussis. His intention was to galvanize Franco-Italian fraternity under the common festive denominator of “Latinity”. Several literary societies from the Midi in France (but also from Italy and Spain) attended the festivities, together with Provençal, Italian and Catalan poets. Over a three-day period, from 18-20 July, the small towns of Vaucluse and Avignon were besieged by reporters from all regions of France and Europe, as well as a mixed audience comprising poets, academics, members of the jury and prizewinners. On the last day, the Catalan poet and politician Albert de Quintana i Combis made an appeal for the union of the Latin races against all forms of oppression, with reference to Catalonia and Provence, and all those who spoke a Romance language. He also paid tribute to Mistral as the glorious representative of the union of all literatures and nations of the Midi. In 1875, on the occasion of the Philological and Literary Contest organized by the Société pour l’Études des Langues Romanes and held in Montpellier, Quintana announced the intention to offer a silver trophy for the forthcoming contest, to be held in 1878. A prize was to be awarded for the best Chant du Latin (“Song of the Latin People”), written in one of the Romance languages: French, Italian, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish or Catalan. Indeed, the 1878 Montpellier festivities (which lasted for seven days) were intended to strengthen the bonds between all these linguistically-related nations. The Félibrige’s own Floral Games formed part of them, combining the Catalan Jocs Florals ceremonial and Toulouse tradition, and presided over by Mistral (who addressed the assembly in Provençal). The musical performance of the French-Canadian and Romanian anthems opened the solemn meeting of the Chant du Latin, where the Romanian scholar/statesman Vasile Alecsandri (1821–1890) was awarded the first prize for his Cântecul gintei latine (“Song of the Latin race”). Alecsandri was considered the main architect of his country’s literary and political resurrection. As the félibre Marius André saw it, it was providential that the literary renaissance of a people was “a considerable factor of its emancipation”. The impressive celebrations of 1878 marked the apogee of the Latin idea in the Occitan cultural revival. Alecsandri’s song was immediately translated into French, Provençal, Occitan, Italian, Spanish, Latin and Hebrew.