Biterrois
The Biterrois is a natural region in France , located in the west of the Hérault department , around the city of Béziers . Biterrois is mainly a wine-growing region .
The limits of the Biterrois
The Biterrois is traditionally delimited from the Montpellier region , which naturally divides the Hérault department into east and west, between Béziers and Montpellier. This separation is also expressed on a cultural level, including in the sporting customs of the region: rugby is very popular in Biterrois, while football is more widespread in the east of the department. The river Hérault acts roughly as a border between these two geographical units .
To the east, this area borders the Mediterranean Sea , between the mouths of the Hérault and Aude rivers . The popular seaside resorts of Valras-Plage , Sérignan-Plage and Portiragnes-Plage lie along the coast . Further east, in the municipality of Vias , Farinette-Plage marks the boundaries of the Biterrois, as does Grau de Vendres and its popular beaches to the south.
The western limits of the Biterrois are only vaguely defined and vary depending on which criteria are used. If, for example, the circulation area of the regional daily newspaper Midi libre is used as a criterion, then Biterrois includes Bédarieux and Saint-Pons . Other criteria are the area of influence of the city of Béziers in terms of commuting traffic or its economic attractiveness. In this case, the Biterrois then covers an area from the Mediterranean to the Sommail Mountains and the Espinouse.
Several villages in the Biterrois bear the name of Béziers, for example Murviel-lès-Béziers , Thézan-lès-Béziers , Villeneuve-lès-Béziers , Cazouls-lès-Béziers and Lieuran-lès-Béziers .
There is traditional competition between the inhabitants of Biterrois and Montpellier, which is a lot more affluent as the capital of the region.
history
Traces of human settlement go back to the 8th to 6th centuries BC. BC back. From this period comes necropolis of Puisserguier and the settlement site Oppidum d'Ensérune . In addition, numerous dolmens have survived the millennia. Betara was founded by Greek settlers in the 7th century BC. Founded.
In ancient times, the Romans founded the Béziers colony. The city that developed as a result was surrounded by city walls in the Middle Ages . In 1209, Béziers was sacked during the Albigensian crusade against the Cathars .
In the Middle Ages, numerous castles were built around Béziers, which were converted into magnificent castles ( châteaux ) in the course of the 16th and 17th centuries . Many are still regional attractions today, in particular the Château de Ribaute and the Château de Perdiguier.
From the second half of the 19th century, the Haut Languedoc , and especially the Biterrois and Béziers, quickly became richer thanks to the rapid development of viticulture. The region then attracted large landowners in industry, finance, and other professions who acquired vast estates.
At the same time, prestigious changes were made in Béziers to publicize the new prosperity. In 1838, Paul-Riquet-Alleen became the heart of city life and in 1848 plane trees were planted. Numerous monuments were built between 1844 and 1870, including an Italian-style theater, Pont Neuf and a public garden with numerous statues.
In the city center, further avenues were created in which modern market halls were built. In 1897 arenas were built on the Pech de Valras in which compositions by Camille Saint-Saëns , Gabriel Fauré or Déodat de Séverac , who created the opera Héliogabale in Béziers, were performed. The city attracted several intellectuals of the time, notably Frédéric Mistral , who stayed there in 1864 and 1902.
In 1907, the drop in wine prices caused a revolt by regional winegrowers against the French government of the Third Republic . The winemakers called for a reform of the wine market and price increases for wine.
On August 22, 1944, the Biterrois was liberated from German occupation during the Second World War .
Current developments
The Biterrois forms a basin with around 200,000 inhabitants, the center of which is the city of Béziers. Since 2002, the city has seen significant population growth, as have the towns and villages on the outskirts. As a result of periurbanization, numerous new housing estates were created and the former wine villages were transformed into "sleeping towns". In particular Montady , Sérignan, Boujan-sur-Libron, Villeneuve-les-Beziers and Sauvian are indicative of these changes began in the late 1970s and always take place faster.
SCoT you Biterrois
In January 2004, several municipalities in the region came together to form an umbrella organization for the sustainable development of the Biterrois territory. The so-called SCoT du Biterrois covers an area of 205,000 hectares with a population of around 270,000.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Frédéric Mazeran: L'évolution des châteaux en biterrois de la fin du XVe à la première moitié du XVIIe siècle (two examples of remarquables: Ribaute et Perdiguier) . In: Patrimoines du Sud . No. 10 , September 2, 2019, ISSN 2494-2782 , doi : 10.4000 / pds.3285 ( openedition.org [accessed February 12, 2020]).
- ↑ Harvey J. Smith: La crise d'une économie régionale: la monoculture viticole et la révolte du Midi . In: Annales du Midi: revue archéologique, historique et philologique de la France méridionale . tape 92 , no. 148 , 1907, pp. 317-334 .