Béziers
Encyclopedia
Béziers is a town in Languedoc
in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture
of the Hérault
department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event. Béziers is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network
.
above the river Orb
, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the Mediterranean. At Béziers the Canal du Midi
spans the river Orb as an aqueduct
called the Pont-canal de l'Orb
. claimed to be the first of its kind.
times, before the influx of Celts. Roman Betarra was on the road that linked Provence
with Iberia
. The Romans
refounded the city as a new colonia for veterans in 36/35 BC and called it Colonia Julia Baeterrae Septimanorum. Stones from the Roman amphitheatre
were used to construct the city wall
during the 3rd century.
White wine
was exported to Rome; two dolia discovered in an excavation near Rome are marked, one "I am a wine from Baeterrae and I am five years old", the other simply "white wine of Baeterrae". It was occupied by the Moors
between 720 and 752.
From the 10th to the 12th century Béziers was the centre of a Viscountship of Béziers. The viscounts ruled most of the coastal plain
around the city, including also the city of Agde
. They also controlled the major east-west route through Languedoc, which roughly follows the old Roman Via Domitia
, with the two key bridges over the Orb at Béziers and over the Hérault
at Saint-Thibéry
.
After the death of viscount William around 990, the viscounty passed to his daughter Garsendis and her husband, count Raimond-Roger of Carcassonne
(d. ~1012). It was then ruled by their son Peter-Raimond (d. ~1060) and his son Roger (d. 1067), both of whom were also counts of Carcassonne.
Roger died without leaving any children and Béziers passed to his sister Ermengard and her husband Raimond-Bertrand Trencavel
. The Trencavels were to rule for the next 142 years, until the Albigensian Crusade
- a formal 'Crusade' (holy war) authorised by Pope Innocent III
.
condemned as heretical and which Catholic forces exterminated in the Albigensian Crusade
.
Béziers was one of the first places to be attacked. The crusaders reached the town July 21, 1209. Béziers' Catholics were given an ultimatum to hand over the heretics or leave before the crusaders besieged the city and to "avoid sharing their fate and perishing with them." However, they refused and resisted with the Cathars. The town was sacked on July 22, 1209 and in the bloody massacre, no one was spared, not even Catholic priests and those who took refuge in the churches. One of the commanders of the crusade was the Papal Legate
Arnaud-Amaury
(or Arnald Amalaricus
, Abbot of Citeaux
). When asked by a Crusader how to tell Catholics from Cathars once they had taken the city, the abbot supposedly replied, "Kill them all, God will know His own" - "Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoscet". (This often quoted phrase is sourced from Caesarius of Heisterbach
along with a story of all the heretics who desecrated a copy of the Gospels and threw it down from the town's walls.) Amalric's own version of siege, described in his letter to Pope in August 1209 (col.139), states:
The invaders burned the cathedral of Saint Nazaire
, which collapsed on those who had taken refuge inside. The town was pillaged and burnt. None were left alive. (A plaque opposite the cathedral records the 'Day of Butchery' perpetrated by the 'northern barons'.) A few parts of the Romanesque
cathedral of St-Nazaire survived, and repairs started in 1215. The restoration, along with that of the rest of the city, continued until the 15th century.
's coup d'état
in 1851, troops fired on and killed Republican protesters in Béziers. Others were condemned to death or transported to Guiana
, including a former mayor who died at sea attempting to escape from there. In the Place de la Révolution a plaque and a monument by Jean Antoine Injalbert
commemorates these events. (Injalbert also designed the Fontaine du Titan in Béziers' Plâteau des Poètes park and the Molière
monument in nearby Pézenas
.)
for the town.
Other sites and monuments include:
Other sights in the ara include the Oppidum d'Ensérune
archaeological site
, and the Étang de Montady
, a marsh drained in 1247, a field and irrigation system
which is visible from the Oppidum d'Ensérune.
and winemaking industries. Although there is still much unemployment in the city.
between Italy and Spain skirts Béziers. The final link in the A75 autoroute between Pézenas
and the A9 was completed in December 2010 and provides direct links to Clermont-Ferrand
and Paris.
The Gare de Béziers
is a train station offering connections to Toulouse, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Marseille, Paris, Barcelona and several regional destinations.
Béziers Cap d'Agde Airport
(previously Béziers-Agde-Vias Airport), owned by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
, provides connections to destinations in northern Europe. Following an extension to the runway which was completed in March 2007, Ryanair
began flights to and from Bristol International Airport
in March 2008, and later to London Stansted
and London Luton Airport
. Danish airline, Cimber Air
has started a summer service to Odense
. A daily service to Paris Orly ceased in 2008.
team (AS Béziers
) with twelve championships to their credit.
Béziers also hosts Languedocian sea jousts
in the summer.
with: Chiclana de la Frontera
, Spain, since 1993 Heilbronn
, Germany, since 1965 Stavropol
, Russia, since 1982 Stockport
, United Kingdom, since 1972
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture
Subprefecture
Subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.-Albania:There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is subdivided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures.-Brazil:...
of the Hérault
Hérault
Hérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event. Béziers is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network
Most Ancient European Towns Network
The Most Ancient European Towns Network is a working group of the oldest cities in Europe. It was founded in 1994, with the idea coming from the town of Argos, Greece presented to the European Union...
.
Geography
The town is located on a small bluffCliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
above the river Orb
Orb River
The Orb is a 145 km long river in the Herault département of Southern France that flows into the Mediterranean Sea, in Valras-Plage. The river flows through the towns Bédarieux and Béziers, where it is crossed by the canal du Midi on the Orb Aqueduct. In ancient times, the Orb was crossed at...
, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the Mediterranean. At Béziers the Canal du Midi
Canal du Midi
The is a long canal in Southern France . The canal connects the Garonne River to the on the Mediterranean and along with the Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau...
spans the river Orb as an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
called the Pont-canal de l'Orb
Orb Aqueduct
The Orb Aqueduct is a bridge which carries the Canal du Midi over the Orb River in the city of Béziers in Languedoc, France. The aqueduct is wide, tall and at is the longest on the Canal du Midi....
. claimed to be the first of its kind.
History
The site has been occupied since NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times, before the influx of Celts. Roman Betarra was on the road that linked Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
with Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. The Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
refounded the city as a new colonia for veterans in 36/35 BC and called it Colonia Julia Baeterrae Septimanorum. Stones from the Roman amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
were used to construct the city wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
during the 3rd century.
White wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
was exported to Rome; two dolia discovered in an excavation near Rome are marked, one "I am a wine from Baeterrae and I am five years old", the other simply "white wine of Baeterrae". It was occupied by the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
between 720 and 752.
From the 10th to the 12th century Béziers was the centre of a Viscountship of Béziers. The viscounts ruled most of the coastal plain
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
around the city, including also the city of Agde
Agde
Agde is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi.-Location:Agde is located on the river Hérault, 4 km from the Mediterranean Sea, and 750 km from Paris...
. They also controlled the major east-west route through Languedoc, which roughly follows the old Roman Via Domitia
Via Domitia
The Via Domitia was the first Roman road built in Gaul, to link Italy and Hispania through Gallia Narbonensis, across what is now southern France. The route that the Romans regularised and paved was ancient when they set out to survey it, so old that it traces the mythic route travelled by Heracles...
, with the two key bridges over the Orb at Béziers and over the Hérault
Hérault River
The Hérault is a river of southern France. Its length is . Its source is in the Cévennes mountains. It reaches the Mediterranean Sea near Agde...
at Saint-Thibéry
Saint-Thibéry
Saint-Thibéry is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.-See also:* Roman Bridge* Via Domitia* Communes of the Hérault department-References:*...
.
After the death of viscount William around 990, the viscounty passed to his daughter Garsendis and her husband, count Raimond-Roger of Carcassonne
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
(d. ~1012). It was then ruled by their son Peter-Raimond (d. ~1060) and his son Roger (d. 1067), both of whom were also counts of Carcassonne.
Roger died without leaving any children and Béziers passed to his sister Ermengard and her husband Raimond-Bertrand Trencavel
Trencavel
The Trencavel were an important noble family in Languedoc during the 10th through 13th centuries. The name "Trencavel," originally a nickname and later a family name, may derive from the Occitan words for "nutcracker"...
. The Trencavels were to rule for the next 142 years, until the Albigensian Crusade
Albigensian Crusade
The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Catholic Church to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc...
- a formal 'Crusade' (holy war) authorised by Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
.
Massacre at Béziers
Béziers was a Languedoc stronghold of Catharism, which the Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
condemned as heretical and which Catholic forces exterminated in the Albigensian Crusade
Albigensian Crusade
The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Catholic Church to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc...
.
Béziers was one of the first places to be attacked. The crusaders reached the town July 21, 1209. Béziers' Catholics were given an ultimatum to hand over the heretics or leave before the crusaders besieged the city and to "avoid sharing their fate and perishing with them." However, they refused and resisted with the Cathars. The town was sacked on July 22, 1209 and in the bloody massacre, no one was spared, not even Catholic priests and those who took refuge in the churches. One of the commanders of the crusade was the Papal Legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
Arnaud-Amaury
Arnaud Amalric
Arnaud Amalric was a Cistercian church leader who took a prominent role in the Albigensian Crusade. He is remembered for allegedly giving advice to a soldier wondering how to distinguish the Catholic friendlies from the Cathar enemies to just "Kill them all...
(or Arnald Amalaricus
Arnaud Amalric
Arnaud Amalric was a Cistercian church leader who took a prominent role in the Albigensian Crusade. He is remembered for allegedly giving advice to a soldier wondering how to distinguish the Catholic friendlies from the Cathar enemies to just "Kill them all...
, Abbot of Citeaux
Cîteaux Abbey
Cîteaux Abbey is a Roman Catholic abbey located in Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, south of Dijon, France. Today it belongs to the Trappists, or Cistercians of the Strict Observance . The Cistercian order takes its name from this mother house of Cîteaux, earlier Cisteaux, near Nuits-Saint-Georges...
). When asked by a Crusader how to tell Catholics from Cathars once they had taken the city, the abbot supposedly replied, "Kill them all, God will know His own" - "Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoscet". (This often quoted phrase is sourced from Caesarius of Heisterbach
Caesar of Heisterbach
Caesarius of Heisterbach , sometimes erroneously called in English Caesar of Heisterbach , was the prior of the former Cistercian Heisterbach Abbey, in the Siebengebirge near the little town of Oberdollendorf, Germany.He is best known as...
along with a story of all the heretics who desecrated a copy of the Gospels and threw it down from the town's walls.) Amalric's own version of siege, described in his letter to Pope in August 1209 (col.139), states:
While discussions were still going on with the barons about the release of those in the city who were deemed to be Catholics, the servants and other persons of low rank and unarmed attacked the city without waiting for orders from their leaders. To our amazement, crying "to arms, to arms!", within the space of two or three hours they crossed the ditches and the walls and Béziers was taken. Our men spared no one, irrespective of rank, sex or age, and put to the sword almost 20,000 people. After this great slaughter the whole city was despoiled and burnt...
The invaders burned the cathedral of Saint Nazaire
Béziers Cathedral
Béziers Cathedral , is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Béziers, France.The structure dates from the thirteenth century and was erected on the site of an earlier building which was destroyed during the sack of Béziers in the Albigensian Crusade.The cathedral was formerly the seat of the Bishopric of...
, which collapsed on those who had taken refuge inside. The town was pillaged and burnt. None were left alive. (A plaque opposite the cathedral records the 'Day of Butchery' perpetrated by the 'northern barons'.) A few parts of the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
cathedral of St-Nazaire survived, and repairs started in 1215. The restoration, along with that of the rest of the city, continued until the 15th century.
Later history
In the repression following Louis NapoléonNapoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
's coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in 1851, troops fired on and killed Republican protesters in Béziers. Others were condemned to death or transported to Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
, including a former mayor who died at sea attempting to escape from there. In the Place de la Révolution a plaque and a monument by Jean Antoine Injalbert
Jean Antoine Injalbert
Jean Antoine Injalbert was a much-decorated French sculptor, born at Béziers.- Life :The son of a stonemason, Injalbert was a pupil of Augustin-Alexandre Dumont and won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1874. At the Exposition Universelle of 1889 he won the Grand Prix, and in 1900 was a member of...
commemorates these events. (Injalbert also designed the Fontaine du Titan in Béziers' Plâteau des Poètes park and the Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
monument in nearby Pézenas
Pézenas
Pézenas is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France. At the 1999 census, its population was 7443.-Name:...
.)
Population
The inhabitants of Béziers are known as Biterrois, after Baeterrae, the Roman nameRoman naming conventions
By the Republican era and throughout the Imperial era, a name in ancient Rome for a male citizen consisted of three parts : praenomen , nomen and cognomen...
for the town.
Sights
- Saint-Nazaire CathedralBéziers CathedralBéziers Cathedral , is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Béziers, France.The structure dates from the thirteenth century and was erected on the site of an earlier building which was destroyed during the sack of Béziers in the Albigensian Crusade.The cathedral was formerly the seat of the Bishopric of...
: Situated in the high part of town, it occupies a picturesque site, visible from afar when approaching Béziers on the road from NarbonneNarbonneNarbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
. A remarkable example of middle Gothic architecture from the 14th century, the vaulted nave, 14 m (45.93 ft) wide, reaches a height of 32 m (104.99 ft). The total length is 50 m (164.04 ft). The western rose windowRose windowA Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
has a diameter of 10 m (32.81 ft). - The Plateau des Poètes (1867) : This vast English styleEnglish gardenThe English garden, also called English landscape park , is a style of Landscape garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical Garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The...
(formal) park was laid out by landscape artists, the Bulher brothers. It contains numerous statues of poets and a monumental fountain of the Titan by Injalbert. The park connects the station with the allées Paul Riquet where a large bronze statue by David d'Angers celebrates the creator of the Canal du Midi, Pierre-Paul Riquet. The same sculptor created the bas reliefs which decorate the neo-Classical façade of the Municipal Theatre (1844) at the top of the allées. - Arenas : Béziers has two arenas, one dating from the Roman era whose structures and foundations have been preserved following major works in the Saint-Jacques district, and the other built in 1905 in the style of Spanish bullrings by Fernand Castelbon de Beauxhostes. The latter is one of the largest such structures in France (seating 13100). The arena hosts concerts and, every August, a bullfighting festival (the Féria).
- The Fine Arts Museum (musée des Beaux-Arts), founded in 1859, received in 1934 the legacy of Injalbert's widow and, in 1975, drawings and the art collection of Jean MoulinJean MoulinJean Moulin was a high-profile member of the French Resistance during World War II. He is remembered today as an emblem of the Resistance primarily due to his role in unifying the French resistance under de Gaulle and his courage and death at the hands of the Germans.-Before the war:Moulin was...
. Among the museum's works are canvasses by Hans HolbeinHans Holbein the YoungerHans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
, Sébastien BourdonSébastien BourdonSébastien Bourdon was a French painter and engraver. His chef d'œuvre is The Crucifixion of St. Peter made for the cathedral of Notre Dame....
, GéricaultThéodore GéricaultJean-Louis André Théodore Géricault was a profoundly influential French artist, painter and lithographer, known for The Raft of the Medusa and other paintings...
, Vincent van GoghVincent van GoghVincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
, Chaïm SoutineChaim SoutineChaïm Soutine was a Jewish painter from Belarus. Soutine made a major contribution to the expressionist movement while living in Paris....
and Henri GoetzHenri GoetzHenri Bernard Goetz was a French American Surrealist painter and engraver. He is known for his artwork, as well as for inventing the carborundum printmaking process. His work is represented in more than 100 galleries worldwide.-Early life:Goetz was born in New York in 1909. His father ran an...
. - The musée Saint-Jacques, installed in a former barracks, has collections showing life in the Béziers region (Biterrois).
- Le Pont Vieux is a stone bridge crossing the Orb (Middles Ages).
- Le Cimetière Vieux (Old Cemetery), created in the 18th century, is a true open-air museum with numerous tombs and works of art by local sculptors, including Jean Magrou and Injalbert.
Other sites and monuments include:
- The Canal du MidiCanal du MidiThe is a long canal in Southern France . The canal connects the Garonne River to the on the Mediterranean and along with the Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau...
(17th century) - The canal bridge
- The Fonserannes locksFonserannes LocksFonserannes Lock is a staircase lock on the Canal du Midi near Béziers.It consists of eight ovoid lock chambers and nine gates, which allow boats to be raised a height of 21.5 m, in a distance of 300 m....
- Garden de la Plantade
- The Cordier or Bagnols mill
- Saint-Jacques Church
- The Saint-Aphrodise Church
- Church of the Madeleine
- Saint Jude Church
- Church of the Immaculate Conception and its glazed tile roof
- The Capnau quarter
- Isalnd of Tabarka, on the Orb
- The Municipal Theatre (19th century)
- The Art NouveauArt NouveauArt Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
former Théâtre des Variétés - The market hall (end of 19th century)
- The Saint-Jean-d'Aureilhan estate
- The Domaine de Bayssan
- Chapelle du Jardin Notre-Dame (18th century)
- Chapelle des Pénitents Bleus (18th century)
Other sights in the ara include the Oppidum d'Ensérune
Oppidum d'Ensérune
The Oppidum d'Ensérune is an ancient hill-town near the village of Nissan-lez-Ensérune, France, located between Béziers and Narbonne close to the D609 and Canal du Midi....
archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
, and the Étang de Montady
Étang de Montady
The Étang de Montady, the "pond of Montady", is a drained "lagoon" or more accurately a former freshwater wetland that is popularly said to be "constructed by the Visigoths" but was realised by monks during the second half of the 13th century, under authorization of the archbishop of Narbonne...
, a marsh drained in 1247, a field and irrigation system
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
which is visible from the Oppidum d'Ensérune.
Economy
Today Béziers is a principal centre of the Languedoc viticultureViticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
and winemaking industries. Although there is still much unemployment in the city.
Transport
The A9 autorouteA9 autoroute
The A9 autoroute is a motorway in southern France. The road forms part of the European route E15, as does the Scottish "A9" ....
between Italy and Spain skirts Béziers. The final link in the A75 autoroute between Pézenas
Pézenas
Pézenas is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France. At the 1999 census, its population was 7443.-Name:...
and the A9 was completed in December 2010 and provides direct links to Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
and Paris.
The Gare de Béziers
Gare de Béziers
Gare de Béziers is the railway station serving the town of Béziers in the Hérault département of southern France. It is situated on the Bordeaux–Sète railway.-Train services:As of August 2011 the following services call at Béziers:...
is a train station offering connections to Toulouse, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Marseille, Paris, Barcelona and several regional destinations.
Béziers Cap d'Agde Airport
Béziers Cap d'Agde Airport
Béziers Cap d'Agde Airport is an airport serving the town of Béziers and the nearby Languedoc coastal resorts such as Cap d'Agde. The airport is located 11.5 km east-southeast of Béziers, near Vias in the Hérault department. It was previously known as Béziers-Vias Airport.The airport...
(previously Béziers-Agde-Vias Airport), owned by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, provides connections to destinations in northern Europe. Following an extension to the runway which was completed in March 2007, Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
began flights to and from Bristol International Airport
Bristol International Airport
Bristol Airport , located at Lulsgate Bottom in North Somerset, is the commercial airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area. At first it was named Bristol Lulsgate Airport and from March 1997 to March 2010 it was known as Bristol International Airport...
in March 2008, and later to London Stansted
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
and London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
. Danish airline, Cimber Air
Cimber Sterling
Cimber Sterling A/S, still known as Cimber Air and styled as Cimber Sterling, is a Danish airline based in Sønderborg, Sønderborg Municipality, Denmark, operating scheduled domestic and international services in co-operation with Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa...
has started a summer service to Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
. A daily service to Paris Orly ceased in 2008.
Sport
Béziers fields a rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team (AS Béziers
AS Béziers Hérault
Association Sportive Béziers Hérault, often referred to by rugby media simply by its location of Béziers, is a French rugby union club preparing to return to the second tier of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. They earned promotion as 2011 Fédérale 1 champions...
) with twelve championships to their credit.
Béziers also hosts Languedocian sea jousts
Sea jousting
Water jousting is a sport practised principally in France and also Switzerland and Germany. It is a form of jousting where the adversaries carrying a lance and protected only by a shield stand on a platform on the stern of a boat. The boat is propelled by oarsmen or, in some cases, a motor may be...
in the summer.
Personalities
Béziers was the birthplace of:- Jedaiah ben Abraham BedersiJedaiah ben Abraham BedersiJedaiah ben Abraham Bedersi was a Jewish poet, physician, and philosopher; born at Béziers...
(1270–1340), poet, philosopher and physician - Pierre Paul RiquetPierre-Paul RiquetPierre-Paul Riquet was the engineer and canal-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi.-Background:...
(1609 or 1604–1680), engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and canalCanalCanals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du MidiCanal du MidiThe is a long canal in Southern France . The canal connects the Garonne River to the on the Mediterranean and along with the Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau... - Paul PellissonPaul Pellissonthumb|Paul Pellisson,Paul Pellisson was a French author.He was born in Béziers, of a distinguished Calvinist family. He studied law at Toulouse, and practised at the bar of Castres. Going to Paris with letters of introduction to Valentin Conrart, a fellow Calvinist, he was introduced to the...
(1624–1693), author - Jean BarbeyracJean Barbeyrac-Life:Born at Béziers in Lower Languedoc, the nephew of Charles Barbeyrac, a distinguished physician of Montpellier. He moved with his family into Switzerland after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. After spending some time at Geneva and Frankfurt am Main, he became professor of belles-lettres...
(1674?-1744), juristJuristA jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage... - Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de MairanJean-Jacques d'Ortous de MairanJean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan , a French geophysicist, astronomer and most notably, chronobiologist, was born in the town of Béziers on November 26, 1678...
(1678–1771), geophysicist - Pierre Jean PorroPierre Jean PorroPierre-Jean Porro was an influential French guitarist, composer and music publisher. His influence helped popularize the guitar as a salon instrument. Also a guitar teacher, he published a guitar method and was an editor and publisher of several musical journals...
(1750–1831), guitarist, composer and music publisher - Joseph-Henri baron de JesséJoseph-Henri baron de JesséJoseph-Henri baron de Jessé was a French nobleman and government official, who served as President of the French National Constituent Assembly from 30 August 1790 to 10 September 1790.-Early life and family:...
(1755–1794), nobleman and president of the National Constituent AssemblyNational Constituent AssemblyThe National Constituent Assembly was formed from the National Assembly on 9 July 1789, during the first stages of the French Revolution. It dissolved on 30 September 1791 and was succeeded by the Legislative Assembly.-Background:... - Jean Antoine Ernest ConstansJean Antoine Ernest ConstansJean Antoine Ernest Constans was a French politician and colonial administrator.-Biography:Born in Béziers, Hérault, he began his career as professor of law. In 1876 he was elected deputy for Toulouse to the French Third Republic's Chamber, and sat in the Left Centre as one of the 363 of May 16,...
(1833–1913), statesmanStatesmanA statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term... - Jean Antoine InjalbertJean Antoine InjalbertJean Antoine Injalbert was a much-decorated French sculptor, born at Béziers.- Life :The son of a stonemason, Injalbert was a pupil of Augustin-Alexandre Dumont and won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1874. At the Exposition Universelle of 1889 he won the Grand Prix, and in 1900 was a member of...
(1845–1933), sculptor - Gustave FayetGustave FayetGustave Fayet was a French painter. His work is close in style to that of Paul Gauguin or Odilon Redon. He learnt to draw and paint with his father, Gabriel Fayet, and his uncle Léon Fayet, who both admired pre-impressionnist painters such as Adolphe Monticelli or Camille Corot...
(1865–1925), artist, art collector, owner of Abbaye de Fontfroide - Henri FescourtHenri FescourtHenri Fescourt was a French film director. He directed some 40 films in his career.- Filmography:* 1912 : Un vol a été commis* 1912 : Le Petit restaurant de l'impasse Canin...
(1880–1946), film director - Aurélie KamgaAurélie KamgaAurélie Kamga is a French sprinter who specializes in the 200 metres and 400 metres.As a junior she finished eighth in the 200 metres at the 2003 European Junior Championships and the 2004 World Junior Championships. At the 2004 World Junior Championships she also won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100...
, athlete - Jean MoulinJean MoulinJean Moulin was a high-profile member of the French Resistance during World War II. He is remembered today as an emblem of the Resistance primarily due to his role in unifying the French resistance under de Gaulle and his courage and death at the hands of the Germans.-Before the war:Moulin was...
(1899–1943), a hero of the French ResistanceFrench ResistanceThe French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
in World War II - Edgar FaureEdgar FaureEdgar Faure was a French politician, essayist, historian, and memoirist.-Career:Faure was born in Béziers, Languedoc-Roussillon. He trained as a lawyer in Paris and became a member of the Bar at 27, the youngest lawyer in France to do so at the time...
(1908–1988), French statesman - Alexandra RosenfeldAlexandra RosenfeldAlexandra Rosenfeld was elected Miss France in 2006. Representing the region of Languedoc, she succeeded Cindy Fabre as the 52nd Miss France on 3 December 2005....
, Miss FranceMiss FranceMiss France is the trademark of an annual beauty pageant. Rights to the trademark were obtained in 2002 by the Dutch television production company Endemol through its subsidiary Miss France SAS, whose director general is Sylvie Tellier, Miss France 2002. Endemol also holds the rights in France to...
2006, Miss EuropeMiss EuropeMiss Europe is a popular regional beauty pageant among female contestants from the nations of the European continent established in 1928 and re-established at the end of World War II by Roger Zeiler of the French Committee of Elegance and Claude Berr...
2006 - Julien RodriguezJulien RodriguezJulien Rodriguez is a French professional footballer. He currently plays for the Ligue 1 club Marseille....
, Olympique de MarseilleOlympique de MarseilleOlympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
footballer - Jérémy ClémentJérémy ClémentJérémy Clément is a French professional footballer currently playing for Ligue 1 club Saint-Étienne. He is primarily a left-footed defensive midfielder with an eye for a pass.-Career:...
, Paris Saint-Germain footballer - Richard GasquetRichard GasquetRichard Gasquet is a French professional tennis player. He won the mixed doubles Grand Slam title at the 2004 French Open, partnering Tatiana Golovin. His highest ranking in singles is #7. His best achievements in tennis are reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2007 and later that year...
, French tennis playerTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... - Elisabeth DaynèsElisabeth DaynèsElisabeth Daynès, born 1960 in Béziers, is a French sculptor. In 1981 she worked with the Théâtre de la Salamandre in Lille creating masks for the theatre. In 1984, she founded her own studio, Atelier Daynès, in Paris...
, sculptress - Jean-Pierre EscalettesJean-Pierre EscalettesJean-Pierre Escalettes is the former president of the French Football Federation having served in the role from 12 February 2005 to 2 July 2010. He was awarded the presidency after winning the ball with 92.56% of the vote...
, former president of the French Football FederationFrench Football FederationThe French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
(2005–2010) - Damien ComolliDamien ComolliDamien Comolli is the Director of Football for Liverpool. He has previously worked as a football coach and scout, with AS Monaco, AS Saint-Étienne, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and French.He was born in Béziers, France, and played as a youth team player at AS...
, football director currently with Liverpool Football Club
Cultural references
- The Kate MosseKate MosseKate Mosse is an English author and broadcaster. She is best known for her 2005 novel Labyrinth, which has been translated into more than 37 languages.- Private life :...
novel Labyrinth, a work of fiction, draws on the history of CarcassonneCarcassonneCarcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
, Béziers and the Cathars. - Alan TunbridgeAlan Tunbridge-Life and work:Normally painting in oils, Alan Tunbridge has also designed a great number of book dust-jacket illustrations, mainly in Scraperboard....
commemorated the Cathars in his song Massacre at BéziersMassacre at BéziersThe Massacre at Béziers refers to the slaughter of the inhabitants during the sack of Béziers, an event that took place on July 22, 1209 and represented the first major military action of the Albigensian Crusade.-Background:...
.
International relations
Béziers is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Chiclana de la Frontera
Chiclana de la Frontera
Chiclana de la Frontera is a town in southwestern Spain, in the province of Cádiz, near the Gulf of Cadiz. The area is a fertile region, with much agriculture, including vineyards...
, Spain, since 1993 Heilbronn
Heilbronn
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
, Germany, since 1965 Stavropol
Stavropol
-International relations:-Twin towns/sister cities:Stavropol is twinned with: Des Moines, United States Béziers, France Pazardzhik, Bulgaria-External links:* **...
, Russia, since 1982 Stockport
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centred around the town of Stockport. It has a population of about 280,600 and includes the outyling areas of Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme, Marple, Bredbury, Reddish and Romiley...
, United Kingdom, since 1972
See also
- OccitaniaOccitaniaOccitania , also sometimes lo País d'Òc, "the Oc Country"), is the region in southern Europe where Occitan was historically the main language spoken, and where it is sometimes still used, for the most part as a second language...
- SeptimaniaSeptimaniaSeptimania was the western region of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis that passed under the control of the Visigoths in 462, when Septimania was ceded to their king, Theodoric II. Under the Visigoths it was known as simply Gallia or Narbonensis. It corresponded roughly with the modern...
- Guillaume BottazziGuillaume BottazziGuillaume Bottazzi is a French artist.He started his professional artist career in 1990 in Italy. In 1994, he received a government grant from direction régionale des Affaires culturelles with the attribution of a government art studio...
, painted a mural, "Les Muriers Blancs", on eight façades of two buildings in Béziers - Communes of the Hérault department