Moussac (Gard)
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Moussac Moçac |
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| region | Occitania | |
| Department | Gard | |
| Arrondissement | Nîmes | |
| Canton | Quissac | |
| Community association | Pays d'Uzès | |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 59 ′ N , 4 ° 14 ′ E | |
| height | 64-151 m | |
| surface | 7.40 km 2 | |
| Residents | 1,485 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 201 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 30190 | |
| INSEE code | 30184 | |
 Moussac - town view |
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Moussac ( Occitan : Moçac ) is a place and a municipality in the south of France with 1,485 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Gard department in the Occitanie region .
location
Moussac is located on a 90 m high hill above the confluence of the Droude river in the Gardon (or Gard ) and is about 25 km (driving distance) in a north-westerly direction from Nîmes .
Population development
| year | 1800 | 1851 | 1901 | 1954 | 1999 | 2017 |
| Residents | 432 | 599 | 740 | 720 | 1020 | 1485 |
The constant population growth that began in the 19th century is essentially due to the immigration of many families from the mountain villages of the Cevennes to the north . In recent times, its relative proximity to the city of Nîmes has contributed to population growth.
economy
For centuries the people of Moussac lived on the produce of their fields and gardens as a self-sufficiency ; Production surpluses could be marketed in Nîmes or Alès . Wine was also grown, but the phylloxera crisis put a temporary end to this branch of the economy at the end of the 19th century. Today only a few wines are grown and marketed through the appellations Cévennes , Duché d'Uzès , Gard and Pays d'Oc . The rental of holiday apartments ( gîtes ) is increasingly playing a certain role in the economic life of the municipality.
history
The area was probably inhabited as early as Gallo-Roman times . The first written mention of the place name Mozac comes from the year 1169, when the area was still a fiefdom of the Counts of Toulouse , who had to cede it to the bishops of Uzès at the beginning of the Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) . Due to its easy to defend location, the place was largely spared from the turmoil of the time - it was only devastated during the Tuchin uprising (1381-1384). On August 22, 1703 the Camisards took the place under the leadership of Jean Cavalier ; they set the church on fire, but could not conquer the castle and withdrew again the following day.
Attractions
- The town center ( bourg ) consists of many old quarry stone houses, but most of them were plastered.
- The keep ( donjon ) of the castle ( château ), built in the 14th century by the bishops of Uzès and now used as a hotel and event location , still dominates the town.
- The church, which originally dates back to the Middle Ages, was set on fire by the camisards in 1703. The building is now used as a Protestant church ( temple ).
