Olargues
Encyclopedia
Olargues is a commune
in the Hérault
department in Languedoc-Roussillon
in southern France
.
Olargues is a beautiful example of a French Medieval town. It was occupied by the Romans, the Vandals and the Visigoths. At the end of the 11th century the Jaur valley came under the authority of the Château of the Viscount of Minerve. The following centuries saw a succession of wars and epidemics, and it wasn't until the 18th century that Olargues became reestablished. This was due to the prosperity of local agriculture and artisanal industry.
The "Devil's Bridge" is said to date back to 1202 and is reputed to be the scene of transactions between the people of Olargues and the "devil".
The old village is clustered around the belltower, which was formerly the main tower of the castle (Romanesque construction). The old shops have marble frontage and overhanging upper storeys.
-Not to be missed are the museum of popular traditions and art, in the stairs of the Commanderie, and the lovely walkway across the river.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in 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 in Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Olargues is a beautiful example of a French Medieval town. It was occupied by the Romans, the Vandals and the Visigoths. At the end of the 11th century the Jaur valley came under the authority of the Château of the Viscount of Minerve. The following centuries saw a succession of wars and epidemics, and it wasn't until the 18th century that Olargues became reestablished. This was due to the prosperity of local agriculture and artisanal industry.
The "Devil's Bridge" is said to date back to 1202 and is reputed to be the scene of transactions between the people of Olargues and the "devil".
The old village is clustered around the belltower, which was formerly the main tower of the castle (Romanesque construction). The old shops have marble frontage and overhanging upper storeys.
-Not to be missed are the museum of popular traditions and art, in the stairs of the Commanderie, and the lovely walkway across the river.