Montblanc (Hérault)

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Montblanc
Montblanc Coat of Arms
Montblanc (France)
Montblanc
region Occitania
Department Herault
Arrondissement Beziers
Canton Pézenas
Community association Béziers Méditerranée
Coordinates 43 ° 24 '  N , 3 ° 22'  E 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
Website http://www.mairie-montblanc.fr/

Montblanc Town Hall

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

Sainte-Eulalie church

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:

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 banal

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

swell

  1. ^ Database of the members of the French National Assembly since 1789

Web links

Commons : Montblanc  - collection of images, videos and audio files