Mèze
Encyclopedia
Mèze is a commune
in the Hérault
department in southern France
.
Its inhabitants are called Mézois.
, Mèze shares with Bouzigues
its historic role as the oyster
capital of the area. Almost a third of its inhabitants depend on the fishing industry for their livelihood. In recent years, tourism and transport have become increasingly central to the local economy.
n times, Mèze has always primarily been a fishing town. During the Roman Empire
, the town lay on the main Southern route from Italy to Spain - the 'Via Domitia
'.The Romans brought wine to the area and left a legacy of architecture including two of the town's churches. The production of shellfish, especially oysters, has been the mainstay of the Mèze economy for almost a century and the whole Basin de Thau area has built an international reputation for the quality of its seafood.
and Christian Delagrange lived for many years in Mèze.
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 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...
.
Its inhabitants are called Mézois.
Geography
Situated on the étang de ThauÉtang de Thau
Étang de Thau or Bassin de Thau is the largest of a string of étangs that stretch along the Languedoc-Roussillon, French coast from the Rhône River to the foothills of the Pyrenees which form the border to Spain. It is the second largest lake in France.-Description:It is about 21 km long...
, Mèze shares with Bouzigues
Bouzigues
Bouzigues is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
its historic role as the oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
capital of the area. Almost a third of its inhabitants depend on the fishing industry for their livelihood. In recent years, tourism and transport have become increasingly central to the local economy.
History
An important port since PhoeniciaPhoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n times, Mèze has always primarily been a fishing town. During the Roman Empire
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....
, the town lay on the main Southern route from Italy to Spain - the '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...
'.The Romans brought wine to the area and left a legacy of architecture including two of the town's churches. The production of shellfish, especially oysters, has been the mainstay of the Mèze economy for almost a century and the whole Basin de Thau area has built an international reputation for the quality of its seafood.
Administration
| Term | Mayor of Mèze | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 1807–1815 | Michel Privat | |
| 1815–1817 | Charles de Borie | |
| 1817–1820 | Pierre Ronzier | |
| 1820–1828 | Louis Charamaule | |
| 1828–1840 | François Bouliech | |
| 1840–1848 | de Borie | |
| 1848-1848 | Santy | |
| 1848–1849 | Hippolyte Bouliech | |
| 1849-1849 | Frédéric de Girard | |
| 1849–1850 | Jules Molinier | |
| 1850–1851 | François Besse | |
| 1851-1851 | Sylla Lacroix | |
| 1851–1859 | Constantin Bouliech | |
| 1859–1865 | Adrien Lonjon | |
| 1865–1870 | Gustave Privat | |
| 1870–1874 | Antonin Bouliech | |
| 1874–1876 | Emile Molinier | |
| 1876-1876 | Jean-Baptiste Allègre | |
| 1876–1878 | Jean-François Besse | |
| 1878-1878 | Benjamin Durand | |
| 1878–1880 | Jean-Baptiste Allègre | |
| 1880–1882 | Emile Beaumadier | |
| 1882–1885 | Jean-Baptiste Allègre | |
| 1885-1885 | Vincent Germain | |
| 1885–1887 | Jean-Baptiste Allègre | |
| 1887–1892 | Guillaume Gros | |
| 1892–1901 | Paulin Arnaud | |
| 1901–1904 | Paul Enteric | |
| 1904–1912 | Baptiste Guitard | |
| 1912–1921 | Paul Enteric | |
| 1921–1922 | Louis Brun | |
| 1922–1923 | Camille Fraisse,Charles Poujol,François Vailhe | délégation spéciale |
| 1923–1925 | Julien Granal | |
| 1925–1941 | Méril Poujade | |
| 1941–1944 | Thomas Bessiere | délégation spéciale |
| 1944–1947 | Henri Bessède | |
| 1947–1971 | André Montet | |
| 1971–1977 | Georges Jean | |
| 1977–2001 | Yves Pietrasanta | Greens |
| 2001-2001 | Yvon Pibre | |
| 2001-- | Henry Fricou | |
Demography
| Census Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 4546 |
| 1968 | 5005 |
| 1975 | 5508 |
| 1982 | 5742 |
| 1990 | 6502 |
| 1999 | 7630 |
Places of interest
- Old village center
- Port Mèze: both a working fishing harbor and a port for recreational boating.
- Lagunage ecological site
- DinosaurDinosaurDinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
Plain palenthology museum. - Eglise Saint Hilaire
- La Chapelle des Pénitents (12th century)
- Le château de Girard (end of 17th century)
- Remains of city walls
- St-Jean-de-la-Garrigue, former parish church, built in romanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque 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,...
style.
Famous residents
The singers Pierre VassiliuPierre Vassiliu
Pierre Vassiliu is a French singer and songwriter.His first record, "Armand", co-written with his brother Michel, appeared in 1962. It was an enormous success, selling 150,000 copies. This opened the doors of the Olympia in Paris to him, where he opened for the Beatles in 1964...
and Christian Delagrange lived for many years in Mèze.
Festivals
- Music Festival de Thau (annual),
- A festival of traditional Boat Jousting is held each summer.
Traditions
- The legendary bœuf de Mèze has become the animal symbol of the town.
- The Balle au tambourin ball game.