Like the scent of lavender on the breeze, la cigale (the cicada) is inseparable from France’s southern landscape. Although often referred to in the feminine, it’s only the male cicadas that sing, their rhythmic call sometimes reaching an astonishing 120 decibels — a sound louder than a lawnmower, and impossible to ignore. For many, it’s a welcome din, the true sound of summer’s arrival. Once a modest insect, the cicada is now the unofficial emblem of Provence — equal parts design motif, folklore figure and lucky charm. Its likeness appears everywhere: molded in terracotta above doorways, hand-painted on table linens, pressed into soaps, stamped in silver, or embroidered onto espadrilles, where they act as quiet talismans, protecting the good life and symbolizing the region’s unhurried pace.
According to legend, la…
