The French ironclad Provence was the lead ship of her class of 10 armored frigates built for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) during the 1860s. Commissioned in 1865, she spent the bulk of her career with the Mediterranean Squadron (Escadre de la Méditerranée), often serving as a flagship. The ironclad played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, blockading the North Sea coast of Prussia. Provence was decommissioned after the war, but was reactivated in late 1875.