Montblanc (Hérault)
| Montblanc | ||
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| region | Occitania | |
| Department | Herault | |
| Arrondissement | Beziers | |
| Canton | Pézenas | |
| Community association | Béziers Méditerranée | |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 24 ' N , 3 ° 22' E | |
| height | 8-68 m | |
| surface | 26.94 km 2 | |
| Residents | 2,848 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 106 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 34290 | |
| INSEE code | 34166 | |
| Website | http://www.mairie-montblanc.fr/ | |
_mairie.JPG) Montblanc Town Hall |
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Montblanc is a French commune with 2848 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region .
geography
The town of Montblanc is located between the A9 and A75 motorways ; twelve kilometers from Béziers and about 50 kilometers from Montpellier . The Thongue , a tributary of the Hérault , flows through the municipality of Montblanc.
history
The village used to be called Sainte-Eulalie de la Thongue , after the name of the local patron saint, Saint Eulalia of Mérida and the name of the Thongue river that crosses the town.
Population development
| year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2007 | 2017 |
| Residents | 1487 | 1567 | 1601 | 1643 | 1857 | 2136 | 2486 | 2848 |
Attractions
The Sainte-Eulalie church
_Ste-Eulalie.jpg)
Montblanc is a typical Languedoc village. The medieval center with its narrow streets is built around the church of Sainte-Eulalie.
The first known mentions of this church come from four documents from the 12th and 13th centuries:
- A bull dated April 27, 1153 by Pope Eugene III. which decreed that the Apostolic See take over all the possessions of the Béziers.
- A charter from 1156 related to a dispute between the Abbot of Villemagne and the Bishop of Béziers.
- A bull dated February 11, 1179 by Pope Alexander III.
- A bull dated November 22, 1216 by Pope Honorius III.
The nave, a Romanesque, strictly square structure, was first built in the 11th century. In the 12th century the choir was built in the shape of a hemisphere. The church is connected with a fortification that extends around the square of the “Château Vieux” (Old Castle). During the 12th and 13th centuries, the community had the "Tour de l'église" (church tower, bell tower) built. This enabled guards to monitor the arrival of looters from a height of 35 meters. This also explains the machicolation and the battlements on the outer wall.
The most remarkable features inside the church are the wooden pulpit from 1730 and the imposing altar .
The church has been a listed building since 1987 .
The Four Banal (Oven)
_four_communal.JPG)
The furnace is located in the old town center. It was built in the Middle Ages, but only got its current appearance in 1610 and 1662.
During the Ancien Régime, the citizens of Montblanc baked their bread there. The ban was lifted during the Revolution , but the Four Banal was reopened in 1814 and was in use until the beginning of the 20th century.
The furnace, which was restored in 1999 and returned to its original appearance, still bears witness to the everyday life of the former residents of Montblanc.
The Maison Consulaire (Consul House)
The consul house was built in 1664 by the consuls Gasc and Dijous at the location of the wine presses on the front wall of the "Château Vieux". The Maison Consulaire or Maison de Ville (town house) was the center of community life until the Revolution.
The consuls, who knew a lot about everyday business, shared power with the master of the place. They were elected every year by the heads of families. They gathered in the hall on the first floor.
The vaulted ground floor served as a market hall . Its cornerstone served as a pillory for a long time.
The Tour du Château (castle tower)
The castle tower is the only remnant of the castle that was adjacent to the church. It towers over the village and is flanked by two arched machicolations .
Another Renaissance style castle was built on the other side of the church in the 15th century. Francis I and Queen Eleanor of Castile , the sister of Charles V, made it there in 1533. Today the tower is privately owned.
The Fontaine Vieille (Old Fountain)
The Fontaine Vieille is the mouth of a winding canal to a spring that is east of the village and still flows today. The tympanum of the pointed arch shows a weathered inscription: "DOM".
The museum
The museum was created in the town hall in 1929 and redesigned in 2001. Numerous works of art can be admired in the new premises.
Personalities
- M. Henri, Adolphe Pieyre de Boussuges (born August 27, 1848 in Nîmes , † February 22, 1909 in Montblanc), mandate holder in the National Assembly or the Chamber of Deputies from March 13, 1882 to November 9, 1885 in the Gard department for the Union des Droites
