Frédéric Mistral was noted for writing in Occitan, particularly its Provençal variety.
Born in Provence in 1830, Mistral became a leading figure in the revival of the region’s language and literary culture. In 1854, he helped found the Félibrige, an association devoted to promoting Provençal and other varieties of Occitan. His best-known work, the long narrative poem Mirèio, appeared in 1859.
Mistral shared the 1904 Nobel Prize in Literature with José Echegaray. The award recognized his poetic work and his efforts as a Provençal philologist. He also compiled Lou Tresor dóu Felibrige, a major bilingual dictionary covering the varieties of the langue d’oc.
A common mix-up is treating Provençal and Occitan as entirely unrelated languages. Provençal is generally understood as a regional variety of Occitan, while “Occitan” is the broader modern name. Catalan is historically related, but it is a separate Romance language.