Cessenon-sur-Orb
| Cessenon-sur-Orb | ||
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| region | Occitania | |
| Department | Herault | |
| Arrondissement | Beziers | |
| Canton | Saint-Pons-de-Thomières | |
| Community association | Sud-Herault | |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 27 ' N , 3 ° 3' E | |
| height | 29-254 m | |
| surface | 37.29 km 2 | |
| Residents | 2,284 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 61 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 34460 | |
| INSEE code | 34074 | |
 View of Cessenon-sur-Orb |
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Cessenon-sur-Orb is a French commune with 2284 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region .
history
The area around the municipality of Cessenon-sur-Orb has been inhabited since prehistoric times; dolmens, burial mounds and flint stones have been found not far from Lugné. The remains of amphorae, graves, grave reliefs and villas date from Roman times . Then the place was under the influence of the Visigoths and then the Saracens, who left Muslim graves, norias and water pumping stations.
The Middle Ages, however, left most traces in the form of the city wall and the keep - today the landmark of the town - as well as a large number of manuscripts.
The castellany, whose capital was Cessenon, once extended over 29,805 hectares with a total of 15 villages and settlements.
The castle or castle, however, was finally destroyed in 1633, according to the decree of October 6th by Louis XIII. and Richelieu. The ruins of the keep are now enthroned in the heart of the upper town.
Population development
| year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2010 | 2017 |
| Residents | 2072 | 2025 | 1736 | 1600 | 1602 | 1730 | 2066 | 2284 |
| Sources: Cassini and INSEE | ||||||||
economy
At that time the main sources of income were agriculture and livestock.
The fields in the plain of the Orb river were suitable for growing grain and provided fertile pastures for animals, especially sheep and goats.
A large part of the area was used for growing fruit and for planting olive trees.
Originally, only the most difficult to cultivate areas were used for viticulture, but after the harsh winters of 1709 and 1789 destroyed almost all olive trees - whose oil was one of the main sources of income - preference was gradually given to the vines, which are less susceptible to extreme conditions .
Cessenon underwent major changes as a result of the industrial revolution with the establishment of bedding factories (from 1720), which - until its gradual decline in the middle of the nineteenth century - were enthusiastically accepted.
At the same time, the winemakers were forced to distill the overproduction of the wine. Initially, this work was only done by traveling distillers ("brûleurs") who roamed the villages with their distilleries until small, permanently installed distilleries were set up around 1810.
Cessenon-sur-Orb has deposits of mineral raw materials: marble, sandstone, brown coal and clay.
The mining of the very rare red marble at Coumiac, which made it into the "Red Room" of the White House in Washington, DC. was operated from the 15th century until 1975.
The most important raw material, however, was the clay, which was used for building and which was fired in the Cathala-Riche brickworks in the immediate vicinity from 1860 to 1955.
The production was shipped to Béziers via the rail network that has since been shut down.
Today's economy in Cessenon-sur-Orb lives mainly from viticulture and tourism.
The wine-growing area consists of two parts: the AOC (AOC Saint-Chinian and AOC Côteaux du Languedoc) and the fields in which simple country wines (Vin de pays des Cessenon and Vin de Pays de l'Hérault) are produced. A large part of the production is also exported for waste.
An important part of the income now comes from tourism with the campsite on the banks of the river Orb, a canoe and kayak school, the festive days on July 14th and August 15th, and the numerous leisure activities (swimming, hiking, horse riding, etc.).
Attractions
With Coumiac, Cessenon has an extraordinary geological formation where you can marvel at fossils in cherry-red " marble ".
Other sights of the community are the church from the 14th century with the adjoining market square, the fortress, the bell tower, the last remains of the castle with its church from the 12th century. Century and the bridge over the Orb.
