The International Lyric Festival in Aix-en-Provence was launched in 1948 with Mozart's "Così Fan Tutte" on a tiny stage in a church courtyard. Now a world-class event—three weeks of operas and concerts concluding this year on July 23, plus an Easter festival and a June prelude—it recently won Best Opera Festival at the International Opera Awards in London. Here are 10 reasons why:

Magical venues // These include Episcopal Palace courtyard, Jeu de Paume theater and Silvacane Abbey.

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