Pézènes-les-Mines
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| region | Occitania | |
| Department | Herault | |
| Arrondissement | Beziers | |
| Canton | Clermont-l'Hérault | |
| Community association | Grand Orb | |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 35 ' N , 3 ° 15' E | |
| height | 194-501 m | |
| surface | 26.87 km 2 | |
| Residents | 241 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 9 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 34600 | |
| INSEE code | 34200 | |
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Pézènes-les-Mines is a French commune with 241 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region . It belongs to the arrondissement of Béziers and the canton of Clermont-l'Hérault .
geography
The municipality of Pézènes-les-Mines is located ten kilometers east of Bédarieux , 20 kilometers west of Clermont-l'Hérault and about 30 kilometers north of Béziers , surrounded by the municipalities of Brenas , Mérifons , Valmascle , Montesquieu , Fos , Roquessels , Faugères , Bédarieux and Carlencas-et-Levas . The village center is of medieval origin and winds around a castle from the 11th to 17th centuries. The princely castle is located on the hill above the village and towers over it. The river Peyne , which falls mostly dry in summer and flows into the Hérault near Pézenas after it has fed the reservoir of Olivettes near Vailhan , stretches down the valley . Other rivers are called Thongue and Courbezou . The towering old houses rise over narrow alleys and stairs. The place is located in a wooded valley between the hills of the adjacent wine-growing region of Faugères and near the Regional Natural Park of Haut-Languedoc (French: Parc naturel régional du Haut-Languedoc ) about six kilometers away. Nearby:
- the Lac du Salagou , a reservoir in the red landscape of the Permian Basin of Lodève
- south of Lac de Salagou, the sea of rocks of the Cirque de Mourèze , steep cliffs made of picturesque limestone cliffs
The municipality consists of the village itself and five hamlets ( les Vignals, la Braunhe, les Montades, le Mas Bousquet, Taussac ) and two domains ( Pouzes, Roudanergue ).
history
The area seems to have been inhabited as early as the Neolithic , as evidenced by the dolmen of Le Puech . Pézènes-les-Mines was already settled in Roman times, as indicated by the Roman bridge behind the church, and in 1985 a Roman wine press was discovered in Mas Pommier. The recently renovated village church ( Église de l'Épiphanie-du-Seigneur , today an exhibition room) is of Romanesque origin. In the 8th century the area suffered from Saracen invasions . According to tradition, Emperor Charlemagne is said to have chosen Pézènes in preparation for a battle against them. To this day, this place is known as the “Field of Meeting”. The battle may have taken place in Fos, where we can find a garment called "battlefield".
Population development
| year | 1946 | 1954 | 1962 | 1968 | 1990 | 1999 | 2007 | 2017 |
| Residents | 124 | 151 | 150 | 180 | 207 | 172 | 198 | 241 |
Economy and geology
The municipality owes the addition of les-Mines to the bauxite mining in the immediate vicinity (La Braunhe, Peyreblanque, Uston). Bauxite was used to make aluminum and was mined in the Bédarieux , La Tour-sur-Orb, Carlencas and Pézènes-les-Mines area from the beginning of the 20th century until 1975. The bauxite in the Hérault is found in clayey rock with up to 65% aluminum oxide in combination with iron oxide, which explains the color of the rock, which ranges from chestnut brown to red or pink, occasionally white, rarely yellow. During the Second World War, the German crew exploited the bauxite mines because there was a great need for aluminum for aircraft production. Since the 1980s, some former bauxite quarries have been looked after and protected by conservationists and geologists who offer sightseeing tours every year. In 1999 and 2000, the residents of the village successfully defended themselves against re-exploitation of the quarries.
Attractions
- Romanesque chapel (restored 2010)
- Roman bridge over the Peyne
- medieval castle (private)
- Notre Dame d'Ourgas chapel in Les Montades
Web links
- Pézènes-les-Mines on annuaire-mairie.fr (French)
- Community info (German)
- Bauxite mining in Pézènes-les-Mines on europe-solidaire.org (French)