Mende (, ) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

and the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

of the department of Lozère, in the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

Occitania Occitania ( oc, Occitània , , or ) is the historical region in Western and Southern Europe where the Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes still used as a second language. This cultural area roughly encompasse ...

, Southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Its inhabitants are called the ''Mendois''. The city, including the first traces of dwellings date back to 200 BC, was originally named ''Mimata'', probably in reference to the mountains that surround it. Mende is located between

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label= Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attrac ...

and

Montpellier Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the department of Hérault. In 2018, 290,053 people l ...

, but also on the axis of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

–

Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Saint-Étienne is the ...

–

Albi Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albigé ...

–

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and fr ...

. The other important nearby towns are

Aurillac Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''. Geography Aurillac is at above sea leve ...

and Saint-Flour (

Cantal Cantal (; oc, Cantal or ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, with its prefecture in Aurillac. Its other principal towns are Saint-Flour (the episcopal see) and Mauriac; its residents are known as Cantalians (fren ...

Le Puy-en-Velay Le Puy-en-Velay (, literally ''Le Puy in Velay''; oc, Lo Puèi de Velai ) is the prefecture of the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Located near the river Loire, the city is famous for its c ...

(

Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; oc, Naut Léger or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche, ...

Rodez Rodez ( or ; oc, Rodés, ) is a small city and commune in the South of France, about 150 km northeast of Toulouse. It is the prefecture of the department of Aveyron, region of Occitania (formerly Midi-Pyrénées). Rodez is the seat of th ...

Millau Millau (; oc, Milhau ) is a commune in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie region in Southern France. One of two subprefectures in Aveyron alongside Villefranche-de-Rouergue, it is located to the southeast of the prefecture, Rodez. W ...

(

Aveyron Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitan ...

) and

Alès Alès (; oc, Alès) is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is one of the sub-prefectures of the department. It was formerly known as ''Alais''. Geography Alès lies north-northwest of Nîmes, o ...

and

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of ...

(

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

Diocese of Mende The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mende (Latin: ''Dioecoesis Mimatensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Mende'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese covers the department of Lozère. The diocese was already i ...

Geography

Situation

Mende is situated in the high valley of the Lot, in a mountainous area, in the ''Pays du

Gévaudan Gévaudan (; oc, Gavaudan, Gevaudan) is a historical area of France in Lozère ''département''. It took its name from the Gabali, a Gallic tribe subordinate to the Arverni. History After the conquest of Gaul, the Romans preserved the c ...

'', the Rieucros stream joins to it on its right bank. The city is overlooked (on the left bank of the Lot) by and its . Access is by the . On the right bank, residential areas extend over different

causses The Causses () are a group of limestone plateaus (700–1,200 m) in the Massif Central. They are bordered to the north-west by the Limousin (région), Limousin and the Périgord uplands, and to the east by the Aubrac and the Cévennes. Large river ...

, including the ''Causse d'Auge''. Located on the axis of

, the city has long been a commercial crossroads between the

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...

, Rhone and the

Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...

. The commune is bordered by Chastel-Nouvel to the north,

Badaroux Badaroux (; oc, Badarosc) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Lozère department The following is a list of the 152 communes of the Lozère department Department may refer to ...

to the east, Lanuéjols to the southeast,

Brenoux Brenoux (; oc, Brenosc) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Lozère department The following is a list of the 152 communes of the Lozère department of France France ( ...

and Saint-Bauzile to the south,

Balsièges Balsièges is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Lozère department The following is a list of the 152 communes of the Lozère department Department may refer to: * Departmental ...

to the southwest, and Barjac and Servières to the west. Mende is one of the "gateway cities" (along with

, Lodève,

and

Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

) for the site of the

Causses and Cévennes The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape (french: Les Causses et Les Cévennes, paysage culturel de l'agro-pastoralisme méditerranéen) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the southern part of central F ...

, of world heritage by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

under the inscription "Les Causses and Cevennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral cultural landscape". According to the INSEE, Mende is an urban commune without suburbs (''ville isolée'' solated town. It lies at the centre of an functional urban area composed of 31 communes, the only one in the department of Lozère.

The Causses

The town of Mende is built in the Lot Valley, within the area of the . The region of the Causses in Lozère is one of the four of Lozère, with the

Margeride Margeride (in Auvergnat ) is a mountainous region of France, situated in the Massif Central, inside the ''départements'' of Cantal, Haute-Loire and Lozère. Location In Cantal, its western boundary is the Truyère, and its eastern boundary, ...

, the

Aubrac Aubrac is a small village in the southern Massif Central of France. The name is also applied to the surrounding countryside, which is properly called L'Aubrac in French. The Aubrac region has been a member of the Natura 2000 network since August 20 ...

and the

Cévennes The Cévennes ( , ; oc, Cevenas) is a cultural region and range of mountains in south-central France, on the south-east edge of the Massif Central. It covers parts of the ''départements'' of Ardèche, Gard, Hérault and Lozère. Rich in geogra ...

. The city is nestled in the middle of different Causses which form as natural barriers. However, over the 20th century, urbanisation began to extend beyond these limits. Of the Causses, is the most significant. The causse is overhung by the Cross of . A first wooden cross was planted in 1900 or 1907.''Laissez vous conter Mende & Lot en Gévaudan - Ses croix remarquables'', guide édité par le pays d'art et d'histoire de Mende & Lot en Gévaudan, p.13 It was replaced a few years later, on 8 July 1933, a

Jubilee A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...

year, by a -high iron cross. Until 1945, this cross was the place of large gatherings in honour of Mendois soldiers. This cross has been illuminated since the summer of 1965. The mount also houses the chapel where Privat, the martyr of the

, withdrew to. At its foot lies the area of Vabre where can be found the first remains of houses in the city. Opposite this is the Causse d'Auge (northeast) and the Causse du Crouzet (northwest), and the

mountains beyond. To the west is Causse de Changefège, located between Mende and Barjac, which complements the borders of the city. Mende et mimat

Geology

The geology of the city of Mende is very dependent on the surrounding causses and streams that pass through them. The Mont Mimat and the Causse de Changefège are composed of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

of the "Grands Causses", thus presenting abrupt edges. The other causses (as well as the butte de Fontanille) are composed of limestone of the "Petits Causses" (without these edges). The Lot Valley is composed of

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part ...

. The Valley, in the south of Mende, is full of blue marl, leaving one to presuppose that the marl of the town of Mende would be, in part, of the same origin. Finally, the various

streams A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams a ...

(the Rieucros) of the causses of the north of the city are lined by

mica Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into extremely thin elastic plates. This characteristic is described as perfect basal cleavage. Mica is ...

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...

Hydrology

The city of Mende was built on the banks of the Lot. But the Lot is not the only presence of water in the city: Indeed, it has several sources, including those of . The most significant of them is located in the Vabre district, close to the first houses. These sources have also often been channeled and feed the underground water system of the city, visible on the surface through numerous fountains and the old wash house. The streets, such as the ''Rue du Torrent'', attest to the passage of water from Mont Mimat. To the north, on the other side of the Lot, the sources are much more distant, but water is present in the

stream A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams ...

known as Rieucros.

Climate

Mende is subject to an oceanic stream that comes from the

and Mediterranean and flows from the

. The department of Lozère, Mende in particular, benefit from

insolation Solar irradiance is the power per unit area ( surface power density) received from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of the measuring instrument. Solar irradiance is measured in watts per square metre ...

(or sunlight) similar to that of

with approximately 2,069 hours of sunshine per year. The city, away from the mountains that surround it, has a more protected climate than the highlands of Gévaudan: So, average temperatures oscillate between and . With respect to annual precipitation, data for the Lozère is between , depending on the exposure of the regions, with up to 50 days of snow per year. Between 1971 and 2000, monthly rainfall ranged from (March) and (September). In more detail, here are some statements in Mende records since 1985:

Routes and transportation

Mende is located in the centre of the Lozère department and therefore centralises the roads. The city has rail and air access, but the Lot is not navigable (too shallow) as with all the rivers of the department (except for recreational canoeing, or in rare exceptions for the transport of people such as the crossing of the Tarn towards

La Malène La Malène (; oc, La Malena) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. See also *Communes of the Lozère department *Causse Méjean References Malene Malene ( grc, Μαλήνη or Μαληνή) was a town of ancient ...

Road network

Mende is located on the , linking

and

. The road comes from

to the west and

to the east. This axis can be reached easily.

and

Ardèche Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Langogne Langogne (; oc, Lengònha) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. Located on the antique Regordane way, the Paris–Nimes railway line and the road RN 88 (Lyon–Toulouse), the city has long been a commercial crossroad bet ...

and

is to the west via

La Canourgue La Canourgue (; oc, La Canorga) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. It is sometimes referred to in French as "''La petite Venise lozérienne''", the ''Little Venice of Lozère''. The commune served as a location for the ...

- Banassac, as well as the A75 autoroute. A road doubling project is underway in the department, bypassing Mende from the north. This doubling is however a long project (1993), having had several outlines and some opposition. The project was finally abandoned in October 2012 making Lozère a department without draft dual carriageways on RN 88. Indeed, its neighbours

and Tarn continue their projects of dual carriageways between

and Toulouse with all expected to be commissioned in December 2015. The work of the Rodez - Séverac section should be completed by the end of 2019. The same will be the case for Haute-Loire, which continues its road access. However, the workarounds of Mende and

Langogne Langogne (; oc, Lengònha) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. Located on the antique Regordane way, the Paris–Nimes railway line and the road RN 88 (Lyon–Toulouse), the city has long been a commercial crossroad bet ...

are budgeted. These projects in adjacent departments will reach major cities nearby to Mende (Rodez,

, Toulouse, Le Puy and even Lyon). Finally, the economic impact or the absence of dual carriageways in Lozere must be assessed in the medium and long term. Furthermore, a viaduct (the Rieucros Viaduct) commissioned in December 2009 will be used to ensure a first bypass of Mende. It connects the industrial area of the Causse d'Auge to the technological centre of Valcroze (and the RD 42) and also helps to relieve the traffic connecting the districts north and northwest of the city. de la rocade ouest de Mende, et du viaduc de Rieucros The RN 88 deviation from Mende should be the first from Pelouse to reach up to the Causse d'Auge with an "expressway" configuration. Then it would continue on the D 806 (ex north) to the Rieucros Viaduct, and then a new section of the viaduct to the Mende exit in the hamlet of La Thébaïde (west bypass). These two sections will only be of two lanes. Subsequently, the expressway from the Causse d'Auge will be directly linked to the A 75. Another national road, the RN 106, formerly ran through the city. This name is no longer valid for the section coming from the

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Florac (it is then of the RN 88 on the stretch between Balsièges and Mende). The northern part of the road was decommissioned in 2007 and now bears the name of D 806. This stretch goes from Mende to

Saint-Chély-d'Apcher Saint-Chély-d'Apcher (; oc, Sanch Ale dels Apchièrs) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. History Its inhabitants are called Barrabans. This name was allotted to the inhabitants of Saint-Chély-d'Apcher during the Hund ...

(and the A75 autoroute) via Chastel-Nouvel. Secondary access is provided by the RD 42 from the northwest, which joins the RN 88 at Barjac, and by the RD 25 which, passing through the , crosses before arriving at the Valdonnez.

Rail network

Mende features an

SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffic ...

railway station, located on the railway line of the , between Le Monastier (the ) and La Bastide -

Saint-Laurent-les-Bains Saint-Laurent-les-Bains (; Auvergnat: ''Sant Laurenç daus Banhs'') is a former commune in the Ardèche department in southern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Saint-Laurent-les-Bains-Laval-d'Aurelle.

(). This line, built at the very beginning of the 20th century, bears the nickname of ''"ligne du toit de la France"'' he roof of France line and Mende is the main railway station. Ten weekly links are provided by rail. The station is also the starting point of the

TER Ter or TER may refer to: Places * River Ter, in Essex, England * Ter (river), in Catalonia * Ter (department), a region in France * Torre (river), (Slovene: ''Ter''), a river in Italy * Ter, Ljubno, a settlement in the Municipality of Ljubno o ...

connection to

by bus, which is daily.

Urban transport network

Referred to as TUM (for ''Transports Urbains Mendois'') the urban transport network is exclusively equipped with buses, which run through the city and some nearby villages (Les Boulaines, Chabrits, Chabannes). Since its establishment in 2000, it has replaced the school bus service. The urban transport network is also responsible for the management of the pay car parks in the city. A part of the city centre is also exclusively pedestrian.

Air transport

The prefecture of the Lozère department shares with the neighbouring village of

. This airfield, located on , is thus from

, from

and away from

and

. Highlights include it being the site of the final scene of the film ''

La Grande Vadrouille ''La Grande Vadrouille'' (; literally "The Great Stroll"; originally released in the United Kingdom as ''Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!'') is a 1966 French-British comedy film set in 1942 about French civilians who help the crew of a Royal ...

'', and also of five stages of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

(1995, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018). Furthermore, a Mende-Paris air link was implemented in October 2007. However, the flight was departing from the aerodrome of Le Puy-en-Velay, located from Mende and reached by a shuttle. This connection was born of a desire to open up Mende to air travel, which is indeed late at this level for a prefecture, and has no direct flight to Paris unlike its neighbours Clermont-Ferrand,

. Since the beginning of 2008, a study has been conducted by the CCI of the Lozère department, in order to discuss the possibility of the establishment of a link between the Lozerian prefecture and the regional capital,

but four years after the launch of this study, no concrete project to date has been presented. Finally, two more major airports with international influence and close to Mende are Clermont-Ferrand Aulnat and Rodez-Aveyron.

Urban planning

Five historic sections

In the 13th century, the city was concentrated in what is now the city centre, bounded by the boulevards, and formerly the ramparts. It was then split into five sections (or neighbourhoods) known as ''pans'': Auriac, Aygues-Passe, Champnau, Chastel and Claustres. When it was initially named as such, the Pan d'Auriac was mainly a place of settlement, before becoming the ''quartier des pénitents blancs'' istrict of the white penitentswho settled there. The Pan d'Aygues-Passe (or Aigues-Passe), meaning "water that passes", owes its name to the inclination of its streets, where the water flowed during cleaning. The Pan de Champnau derives its name from ''new field'', and includes what was a new residential area, at north of the city. The Pan de Chastel is the old commercial district of the city. It is located towards the Chastel Gate, which led then to Chastel-Nouvel, where a castle stood which was property of the bishops. Finally the Pan des Claustres, whose name comes from

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against ...

s, was the largest of the city and is now between the and , i.e. between the two tombs of (the chapel Saint-Ilpide on the hill of the executioner, and the crypt of Sainte-Thècle under the cathedral square).

The modern districts of the city

*The historic centre The historic city centre is bordered by boulevards which took the place of the ancient walls. In addition to housing, the centre is mostly occupied by convenience stores and artisans. Beyond the boulevards, there are other houses as well as government buildings. The General Council and the prefecture indeed share the former , but services are scattered throughout the city. ''Allée Piencourt'' connects downtown roads to

and Chastel-Nouvel, near the ancient diocese (pré claux and pré vival) having been built. *Mende North (Chaldecoste), the Causse d'Auge North of the ''Allée Piencourt'', past the Berlière Bridge, dwellings are present at the foot of the Causse d'Auge. These were established in several instalments over the 19th and 20th centuries, the first of these being Chaldecoste. It is in this part of the city that the large and the small seminary as well as the Convent of Carmel are found. The city extends to the north in the direction of Alteyrac (commune of Chastel-Nouvel). Between these areas and Alteyrac is located the zone of economic activities (ZAE) of the Causse d'Auge. The northern districts often bear names of flowers, this part of the city that historically sheltered gardens and vineyards, along the draille linking the ''Plateau du Palais du Roi'' ing's Palace Plateau The causse is bounded by two streams, the Rieucros in the east and the to the west. *Fontanilles Above the Badaroux road, on a hill, lies the Fontanilles district. It was originally social housing. At the foot of the hill is the Lycée Notre-Dame, while beyond the district of Saint-Laurent (where one finds traces of history with the presence of a chapel and a windmill) and, later, the Gardès ZAE. In this part, to the west of Gardès, is also the village of Sirvens where traces of a Gallo-Roman villa were discovered. *Mende South, Mont Mimat Stuck between Fontanille, Mont Mimat and the city centre, are districts located roadside above pré claux. In this area are located the centre of firefighters, the Château of Bellesagne and the former gendarmerie. The market is also in this area, but more to the east than the precedents cited (beyond the boulevards, however). Above it lies the Vabre district and Hill of the Executioner where the first traces of dwellings of the city were found. Also nearby is the city's prison. *Le Chapitre and the road to Chabrits In the westerly direction, found the District of Le Chapitre with the sports complex and the holiday village. This area is at the foot of a portion of the Causse de Changefège, where homes are installed along the Chabrits road (''Avenue du 11-Novembre'', north-west of the city). It is in this part of the city which the district of Valcroze is found (new in the 19th century), the Chabrits ZAE and technology park. *Balsièges road The other side of the Lot, along the , is found the avenue of the

Gorges du Tarn The Gorges du Tarn ( oc, Gòrjas de Tarn) is a canyon formed by the Tarn (river) between the Causse Méjean and the Causse de Sauveterre, in southern France. The canyon, mainly located in the Lozère ''département'', and partially in the Aveyro ...

and the area of Ramille. It is in this part where retail establishments are found. The Ramille zone saw the introduction, despite some criticism about the instability of the ground, of the hypermarket of the department, as well as a commercial area.

City map

On the map are the main roads of the city. To the west, the RN 88 is joined to

, passing through the Rocher de Moïse (classified site) located at the left end. To the northwest, it is the hamlet of Chabannes, and further to Chabrits. To the south, is found, where the new cross stands which symbolically marks the top of the hill (although it continues a little higher). This road leads to the Hermitage of , at the cross of the same name and the route of Valdonnez ( Lanuéjols,

, Saint-Bauzile). To the east, Fontanille district is on a hillock, circumvented by the Lot. Behind lies the district of Saint-Laurent, then the ZAE de Gardès (and the village of the same name) and the village of Sirvens. Following the RN 88, one reaches

. Finally to the north, is the area of the Chaldecoste (broken down into several districts: Bergerie, Chanteperdrix, Vignette, etc.) where one can reach the ZAE du causse d'Auge. Further to the north, one finds Chastel-Nouvel before returning to the ground of and the ''Plateau du Palais du Roi''. The drinking water of the city of Mende comes from this direction, because of the

Lac de Charpal Lac de Charpal is a lake in Lozère, France. At an elevation of 1326 m, its surface area is 1.9 km². Three communes border the lake: Arzenc-de-Randon, Le Born and Rieutort-de-Randon. The Colagne The Colagne () is a long river in the ...

reservoir, which is the main source.

Housing

In 2017, Mende had 6,851 residences for an official population of 12,134 people. 87% of them are primary residences and 6.1% of secondary residences, which contrasts sharply with the figure of the Lozère department amounting to a 32.3% share of secondary housing. The population has been growing for several years, and the city has acquired new quarters over the years: Chaldecoste and Chanteperdrix in the 1970s, La Bergerie in the 1990s, and Valcroze in the 2000s. The city has 17.9% of

HLM An habitation à loyer modéré (HLM, , ), is a form of low-income housing in France, Algeria, Senegal, and Quebec. It may be public or private, with rent subsidies. HLMs constitute 16% of all housing in France. 59% of dwellings have four rooms or more and 19% have three rooms. The city is composed of many individual homes, small and large dwellings remaining in the minority. However, one can see that between 1990 and 1999 there was an increase of 85.3% of dwellings of one or two rooms. This can partly be explained by the development of higher education, with the branch of the

University of Perpignan The University of Perpignan (french: Université de Perpignan; ca, Universitat de Perpinyà Via Domitia) is a French university, located in Perpignan. History The first university of Perpignan was established in 1349 by King Peter IV of Ara ...

Toponymy

The region is an ancient site of settlement dating back to the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

, although the capital of the

, the Gallic period then Gallo-Roman, was

Anderitum Anderitum (also ''Anderida'' or ''Anderidos'') was a Saxon Shore fort in the Roman province of Britannia. The ruins adjoin the west end of the village of Pevensey in East Sussex, England. The fort was built in the 290s and was abandoned after it ...

. Found in the ancient texts are the names of ''Mimate'', ''Mimata''Benjamin Bardy in Mende, édition SAEP Colmar-Ingersheim, p. 13 (mountain), which refer to this town at the foot of ''Mons Mimatensis'' (). In the same spirit, another name circulating is that of ''Viculus Mimatensis'' (or ''Vicus Mimatensis''). It is the city which gave its name to Mont Mimat ("mount of the Mendois", literally) and not vice versa.

History

Gallo-Roman era

Traces of dwellings dating from 200 BC were found, ancient Roman ''villae'', as well as around the city. However, residents could have been be domiciled here well before. Indeed, on Mont Mimat to Chapieu, a dolmen was found around 1913 including a trepanned skull. The other surrounding plateaux also attest this presence with other dolmens (on the Causse de Changefege for example). These remains may date from the

Chalcolithic The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "Rock (geology), stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin ''wikt:aeneus, aeneus'' "of copper"), is an list of archaeologi ...

period. The city, strictly speaking, dates from the Middle Ages, and it is not found cited at the end of the 6th century by

Gregory of Tours Gregory of Tours (30 November 538 – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of the area that had been previously referred to as Gaul by the Romans. He was born Georgius Floren ...

in his ''Histoire des Francs''. This text speaks of the

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

dom of , the first bishop of the

Gabali The Gabali (Gaulish: *''Gabli'') were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the later Gévaudan region during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Gabalos'' or ''Gabalis'' by Caesar (mid-1st c. BC), as ''Gabalei͂s'' (Γαβα� ...

, who was the origin of a pilgrimage to the hermitage and the caves where he had retired. Mende in the 3rd century was then only a village. The history of Privat is thus situated around the 3rd century, while he was sent by

Austromoine Stremonius or Saint Austremonius or Saint Stramonius or Austromoine, the "apostle of Auvergne," was the first Bishop of Clermont. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. Legend During the consulship (in 250 AD) of the Emperor Decius ...

to evangelize the

. It was during this period that the

Alemanni The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pres ...

invaded the country, guided by their leader,

Chrocus Chrocus or Crocus (fl. 260–306 AD) was a leader of the Alamanni in the late 3rd to early 4th centuries. In 260, he led an uprising of the Alamanni against the Roman Empire, traversing the Upper Germanic Limes and advancing as far as Clermont-Fe ...

. The Gabali took refuge in the fortress of Grèzes where they were under siege for two years. Their bishop, Privat, was meanwhile in one of the caves of Mont Mimat which he had converted into a hermitage. When Chrocus learned that the bishop was not among his people, he went looking for him to use as a hostage in order to get the Gabali to leave Grèzes. Privat was martyred at his cave on near the village of Mimate. Presented to the Gabali, he refused to deliver his people despite all the barbaric tortures to which he was subjected (according to Gregory of Tours:''"The good shepherd refused to deliver his sheep to wolves, and they tried to force his to sacrifice to demons"''). Exhausted, the Alemanni would leave the Gabali free, by promising them peace. Privat succumbed to his injuries in the following days. His act of resistance, refusing to deliver his compatriots, thus earned him great popular fervour, and it was around his tomb and his hermitage that pilgrimage began, allowing the village to grow.

Middle Ages

In the 12th century

was part of the

County of Barcelona The County of Barcelona ( la, Comitatus Barcinonensis, ca, Comtat de Barcelona) was originally a frontier region under the rule of the Carolingian dynasty. In the 10th century, the Counts of Barcelona became progressively independent, heredi ...

. In Mende, the counties have a castle, the castel frag. Three other lords had their castle around the Romanesque church: That of Canilhac (who owned the archtreasurer rights of the church), that of Cabrières (who was granted rights of archdeacon) and Dolan (who administered and ruled the episcopal home during the interregnum of bishops). In 1161, Mende, who was under the suzerainty of the

King of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the fir ...

, saw his Bishop get the royal rights. It was the

golden bull A golden bull or chrysobull was a decree issued by Byzantine Emperors and later by monarchs in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, most notably by the Holy Roman Emperors. The term was originally coined for the golden seal (a ''bull ...

, an act signed by the king and marked with a royal seal in gold, which contained the terms of this agreement. It thus gave Aldebert and his successors, in perpetuity, the Royal power and the full powers of justice on the inhabitants of the bishopric. This fact is quite rare because only four golden bulls in six centuries were granted by the Kings of France. It was from this time that the city walls were built. Aldebert wished to protect the city and secure channels that lead there. he recovered and also built the fortress of Chapieu on , and was done so that it could accommodate a garrison. This allowed the monitoring of the direct route between

Mont Lozère Mont Lozère ( oc, Mont Losera) is the highest peak in the Cévennes, a subrange of the Massif Central in France. It is above sea level and lies within the Cévennes National Park. Mont Lozère is commonly used for skiing during the winter mo ...

and Villefort, in other words towards the Regordane Way, trade route. At that time, however, Mende was not provided the civil and religious capital of

. In fact the power was always dependent of two entities: The county and Viscount of Grèzes. The Viscount, property of the King of Aragon, was recovered by the King of France in 1258. The bishop had great power as a vassal, but he didn't have the total legitimacy of some Royal officials. This situation ended from 1307 with the Act of

paréage In Medieval France a ''paréage'' or pariage was a feudal treaty recognising joint sovereignty over a territory by two rulers, who were on an equal footing, '' pari passu''; compare peer. On a familial scale, ''paréage'' could also refer to the ...

between Bishop Guillaume VI Durand and King Philip IV. Indeed, it definitively fixed the possessions of the king and those of the bishop, even if some disputes persisted. During the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

security increased with the strengthening of the fortifications and the construction of ditches to 1361-1362. At that time, the chapter of Mende had a castle on the heights of the city, Chastel-Nouvel. In 1370 many locals felt safe from the ramparts of the city, despite threats from the

routiers Routiers () were mercenary soldiers of the Middle Ages. Their particular distinction from other paid soldiers of the time was that they were organised into bands (''rutta'' or ''routes''). The term is first used in the 12th century but is parti ...

. Also, few of them took refuge in Chastel-Nouvel. But the walls were insufficient, and could not prevent the pillages. This period isolated Mende from its neighbours, including

, and waited the arrival of the Constable of France,

Bertrand du Guesclin Bertrand du Guesclin ( br, Beltram Gwesklin; 1320 – 13 July 1380), nicknamed "The Eagle of Brittany" or "The Black Dog of Brocéliande", was a Breton knight and an important military commander on the French side during the Hundred Years' Wa ...

, then the intervention of Charles VI and the liberation of the region so that the roads reopened around 1452. In 1390, was in Mende, where John III of Armagnac sought, on behalf of the King of France, to put an end to the private war that Raymond de Turenne led against the Pope from Avignon. The Gascon signed as a witness to an agreement between the legate of

Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...

, Antoine de Lisa, , and a representative of the Viscount of Turenne.Raymond de Turenne came to Mende with his cousins Garin VIII, Baron d'Apcher en Gévaudan and Raoul de Lestrange, seigneur of Boulogne en Vivarais. A truce was agreed until 15 August 1391. The agreement was ratified in the name of Clement VII by François de Conzié, Archbishop of Arles, on 20 August 1390. Six days later, Raymond de Turenne committed ''sur les Saintes Envangiles de Dieu et par la foi de son corps à les tenir et accomplir loyalement et sans fraude.'' (on Saintes Envangiles of God and the faith of his body to keep and faithfully perform and without fraud.) Finally on 28 August in Avignon, Marie de Blois, Countess of Provence approved the agreement and affixed her seal. This interview of Mende helped the Florentines to send ambassadors to solicit the Count of Armagnac. He was proposed to cross the Alps and attack the Count of Vertus in Lombardy.During his marriage to Isabeau of France, daughter of Jean le Bon, Galéas Visconti had received in dowry the county of Vertus in Champagne. This noble title, the only one which could boast the Visconti, was passed to Jean Galéas. The Embassy of Florence was discreet since it was only revealed officially three months later. Jean III of Armagnac had a score to settle with Jean Galéas about the rights of his sister Beatrix d'Armagnac to the estate of his uncle Barnabò. The ambassadors of Florence came propose alliance and financial support. It was also at this time that

Pope Urban V Pope Urban V ( la, Urbanus V; 1310 – 19 December 1370), born Guillaume de Grimoard, was the head of the Catholic Church from 28 September 1362 until his death in December 1370 and was also a member of the Order of Saint Benedict. He was the ...

began the work of the cathedral (1368), for a completion in 1467. By its letters patent, King

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...

confirmed the privileges for this cathedral, granted by his predecessors, in September 1464. France Lozere Mende Cathedrale Urbain V

At the beginning of the 1470s, conflict erupted between Bishop and King Louis XI, because of the support that the bishop had given to the County of

Armagnac Armagnac (, ) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally ...

when it had revolted. To counter it, the king subtracted La Panouse authority over the city which then became autonomous. It wasn't until 1478 that the bishops found authority over the city, sharing revenues with the consul. At the end of the Hundred Years' War, Mende developed its production of drapery, and thus increased its role as a commercial crossroads between the

and

, exporting its fame. It is estimated that in the 16th century Mende was one of the richest dioceses of Languedoc before

and

. This wealth of the diocese reinforced the ecclesiastical power. Thus among the list of the bishops of the time one can count a number from the family of the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. Giuliano della Rovere was ordained bishop of Mende, although he never visited in the capital of Gévaudan (practice known as commendation). His nephews, Clement and , succeeded him in this position. During his tenure, François adorned the cathedral with its bell towers, which one hosted the ''Non Pareille'', the largest bell in the world. In October 1485, when Clement de La Rovere came to the episcopal seat, old quarrels between the consul and the bishopric re-emerged, first mentioned with fear of losing this privilege. Thus they barricaded the gates of Mende, so that the bishop could not access. At this time the bishops primarily used their

Castle as a residence (that of

Chanac Chanac () is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. See also *Communes of the Lozère department The following is a list of the 152 communes of the Lozère department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, divisio ...

being the summer residence). In vain as the

Della Rovere family The House of Della Rovere (; literally "of the oak tree") was a noble family of Italy. It had humble origins in Savona, in Liguria, and acquired power and influence through nepotism and ambitious marriages arranged by two Della Rovere popes: Fra ...

covered the full authority by notice of the king in 1492. The title of consul was held in place of the traditional title of trustee.

Renaissance

In the 16th century, the main events were the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

and the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

which resulted. On 21 July 1562, 4,000 Protestants got within the walls of the city. They destroyed the unprotected monuments and besieged the city by depriving it of water. They withdrew four days later, largely due to being given 2,000 ecus. This ransom ensured the city a few years of peace. During the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, Astorg de PeyreFrançois Astorg Peyre specifically was murdered in the king's room: his widow then hired a young man, Matthieu Merle to avenge the death of her husband. From 1569 to 1576 he held with his troops the fortress of Grèzes where he gradually seized the north of

. From 1577 he moved with his troops to

Marvejols Marvejols (; oc, Maruèjols), is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. Its inhabitants are known as ''Marvejolais''. Geography The commune is located in the Massif central. The Colagne flows southward through the middle of t ...

intending to seize Mende, although not ceasing his conquests to the north, he failed however in August 1578 at Saint-flour. The night of

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

1579, to enter the city, Merle's soldiers expected that the people of Mendes were at midnight

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...

. During his stay in Mende, Merle made further fortification to the city, not hesitating razing 120 homes to restore the ramparts.Bardy, ''op. cit.'', p.38, 39 In February 1581, while he ruled all the

, he enforced the threat he had made to the people. He had in fact asked them to deliver 4,000 ecus, a sum that the Mendois could not collect. He partially destroyed

Mende Cathedral Mende Cathedral (French language, French: ''Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Privat de Mende'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral and minor basilica, and also a national monument of France, located in the town of Mende, Lozère, Mende. The c ...

built by

. He saved a bell tower to avoid damaging the episcopal palace where his home was established. It was at this time that the ''Non Pareille'' was melted, the biggest bell in the world, to manufacture

culverin A culverin was initially an ancestor of the hand-held arquebus, but later was used to describe a type of medieval and Renaissance cannon. The term is derived from the French "''couleuvrine''" (from ''couleuvre'' "grass snake", following the ...

s and other cannonballs. The city was liberated on bail that year thanks to the intervention of the King of Navarre. The city liberated, a

seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...

was created to ensure the peace. Response to the attack of Merle was organised in 1586 against the town of

, led by baron de Saint-Vidal. It was during this response that the Peyre fortress disappeared from the rock of Peyre. The seneschal took its place. The Tower of Auriac, today known as the Tower of Penitents, was built to accommodate one hundred soldiers. The seneschal gradually took precedence over the diocese, which called for the help of the Duke of Languedoc in 1597. It was after this episode that the Seneschal of Mende disappeared.

From the 17th century to the French Revolution

The beginning of the 17th century was coloured by the work of reconstruction of the cathedral for an inauguration in 1605, although work had lasted until 1629. Far from the splendour of the original, while taking up the same plane, this new cathedral was characterised by a bell tower which was smaller than the other. Between 1645 and 1660, the city was the scene of strife between two rival factions: The Marmaux and the Catharinaux, all members of the consuls or the bourgeoisie, but not having the same opinion on the importance of episcopal power, the latter being opposed. The bishop was also the target of an attack while he officiated in Mende Cathedral in 1645 (he was actually not touched). After several trials, it was not without difficulty that the kingdom gave back his ancestral power, the consul remaining under his control. At the end of the century, landscaped a lane which joined to the Lot (since known as ''"Allée Piencourt"'') and especially acquired the Aubusson tapestries for the episcopal palace. These tapestries, classified, since adorn the cathedral. It was also behind the early educational development in the city and contributed to the building of the hospital. It also made the hospital its heir, allowing it to develop. In 1702, the war of the Camisards was triggered in the

. Mende somewhat landscaped its walls in order to prevent any attack. However, this war which began with the murder of Father du Chayla at

Le Pont-de-Montvert Le Pont-de-Montvert (; oc, Lo Pònt de Montverd) is a former commune in the Lozère département in southern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Pont-de-Montvert-Sud-Mont-Lozère. It is located in the heart of the ...

never reached Mende. In 1721, the Great Plague arrived in

affecting the town of Mende with an amount of 1,078 victims in one year. Two generations later, the walls were removed (in 1768), "so the air circulates better". 274 Mende La maison de Mandrin

Once all these troubles passed, the city redeveloped its economy around wool and sheep farming. The city extended a little bit under the development of the appearance of the mills, and its first factory. In 1754, Mende saw

Louis Mandrin Louis Mandrin (pronounced lwi mɑ̃dʁɛ̃; 11 February 1725 – 26 May 1755) was a French smuggler (highwayman) from Dauphiné. Biography Mandrin has been called the Robin Hood of France. He became famous for his rebellion against the Ferm ...

the famous brigand, who lodged in a house there and, according to legend, hid treasure. Between 1764 and 1767, Mende was the witness the comings and goings of the wolf-hunters of the king, who came to seek rest in the city before returning to hunt the beast which was terrorising the north of the country. It was seen close to Mende, once at Pailhou and between Rieutort-de-Randon and Chastel-Nouvel but remained primarily in

. At this time the quarrel between the consul and the bishop was brought up to date by the edict on municipal organizations. The burghers and nobles opposed, but the bishop finally retained power in 1771. During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, Mende had to share with Marvejols the function of department capital of Gévaudan. This was renamed in the Lozère department in 1790, and the guardianship of the church disappeared in 1791, thus putting an end to the

of 1307. Mende was the scene of small counter-revolutionary clashes, but without great effects. It became the sole capital shortly after.

Since the 19th century

In 1800, the prefect settled in the city, and the prefecture occupies the episcopal palace after the sale of the property of the church. In the middle of the 19th century, the causses around Mende are planted with Austrian black pine, this national forest has continued since then. The choice of black pine was due to its ease of acclimation, and its robustness. The presence of this forest often protected Mende from floods. Then the

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

appeared in the prefecture, then linking to Sévérac-le-Château (3 May 1884).Bardy, ''op. cit.'', p.57 The railway line follows the Lot to cross the city, and also continues to follow, like the newly created road. In 1887 the old episcopal palace disappeared in flames, the prefecture had to be rebuilt. On 8 April 1888 Mende became one of the first cities in France, and the first

chef-lieu An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

to have electric lighting. The plant was installed in the old . The twentieth century was marked by a beginning of economic decline. The gradual end of the wool industry, the First and the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

depopulated the city. Between 1931 and 1934 baths are built, since becoming the Home, and located on the market square. The building was destroyed in summer 2013, to be replaced by a multi-cultural hall. In 1939, shortly before World War II, an

internment Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simp ...

camp was built in the woods of the Rieucros. The population was opposed to this transit camp for anti-fascists and communists. It then became an internment camp exclusively for women. The mayor at the time, , condemned the

Vichy regime Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...

and the camp in his hometown, where he made sure that children interned with their mother followed a normal education. His hostile words and acts to the regime in place led him to be removed from his post in 1941. He then joined Resistance where he became one of the leaders for the Lozère. Arrested and sent to German camps in 1944, he died during a transfer in 1945. Ideally placed between the

Maquis Maquis may refer to: Resistance groups * Maquis (World War II), predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance * Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who fought against Francoist Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War * The netwo ...

of the

and the

, the town was located as well as a centre for the coordination of the Lozère Interior Resistance. As for the population, it protected itself where shelters against aerial bombardments were implemented. From the 1970s, the city had a sizable population growth. The city then extended to the Causse d'Auge. In the 1980s and 1990s, one can also see that the department was depopulating overall, while its prefecture was expanding. Culture and sport took more importance in the life of the city. During the 1990s, the city developed administrative reconciliations with nearby cities. Therefore, it formed the Estelle city network with

and

. The principle of the network was to share experiences and pool resources to develop such medium-sized cities. Shortly after, it was with other networks that Mende became closer to other cities of the

Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...

. This is the case, for example, with the Cyber Massif network dedicated to the digital opening up of the region. Moreover, since the beginning of the 21st century, Mende had tried to actively participate in the policies of opening up of the Massif Central. The city lies in the Lot Valley and reached an area of in the 2000s. It also seeks to enroll in a

sustainable development Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The ...

project, in the image of the department with, among other projects, the construction of a

cogeneration Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and useful heat at the same time. Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel or heat, because otherwise- wasted heat from elec ...

plant and the establishment of a network of heat. The timber industry, so important in the economy of the city, could therefore be put to further use. The establishment of bio-energy in the city has also been carried out by the appearance of a

wind farm A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turb ...

north of the city.

Politics and administration

Mende is the

of the Lozère department: It welcomes in this regard the

and the headquarters of the General Council. The buildings of these two institutions are scattered within the city. A project of the Department Hall to consolidate all services of the General Council is under consideration. The mayor's office is housed in the town hall which dates from the 18th century, however, a large part of the services have been moved to the annex of the mayor's office.

City hall

This is the old consular house which was used as a city hall of the Revolution until 1852. On that date, Mayor Becamel bought the Pages family mansion located in the ''Place d'Angiran''. Since then the city hall has been based in this city mansion (listed historical monument) in the square which has become ''Place Charles-de-Gaulle'', although a part of the services is now located in the annex which faces it. As the cathedral, the city hall also houses the tapestries of Aubusson, classified since 1909.

Political trends and results

List of mayors

Since 1945, the following were elected mayors of the city of Mende:

Intercommunality

The city of Mende belongs to the . It was created in December 2001 under the name of ''Communauté de communes de la Haute Vallée d'Olt'' before changing its name in 2009. The commune being the largest in terms of population, it was its mayor, Jean-Jacques Delmas, who became the first president of the community. The implementation of this community of communes has allowed a transfer of powers. So, all areas of economic activity and sports facilities now fall under the responsibility of the community, rather than the commune itself. However, the actions are much wider since waste treatment also enters the competence of the community. The waste disposal site of the commune lies in the ZAE du Causse d'Auge, north of the city. In this context, unsorted collection is also the responsibility of the community of communes. This community of communes is not the only grouping of communities for the town of Mende. A comprehensive plan was implemented around the label ''Pays d'Art et d'Histoire de Mende et Lot en Gévaudan'' ands of art and history of Mende and Lot in Gevaudan These are twenty-two communes which now belong to the Pays d'Art ands of Artwhich comes in the continuity of the city of art and history label which Mende has had since 1981. The lands comprises four communities: Cœur de Lozère, , and , which is assistant to the Chastel-Nouvel commune.

Administrative division

The city is the

of two cantons: Mende-1 and Mende-2 since 2015.Décret n° 2014-245 du 25 février 2014 portant délimitation des cantons dans le département de la Lozère
/ref> Mende-1 comprises the northern part of the city, Mende-2 the southern part.

Courts

Before the Act of

of 1307, Mendoise and Gevaudanaise justice was fully devolved to the bishops. This power was shared with the king after the signing of the Act. Power was shared between the various for the communal land, with Mende being in the land of the bishops and

in lands of the king, and like this until 1789. The courthouse was built between 1833 and 1835. On 18 February 1994, it was the target of a bombing by the

FLNC The National Liberation Front of Corsica ( co, Fronte di liberazione naziunale di a Corsica or ; french: Front de libération nationale corse, abbreviated FLNC) was a militant group that advocates an independent state on the island of Corsica, ...

. The tribunal groups together a children's tribunal, a tribunal of commerce, a court and a high court. It depends on the . The city has long held

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...

s. Current prison was commissioned in 1891. One of the first high-security areas of France was then moved there in 1949. It was at this date that the prison ownership changed, from the State Department. Several personalities have stayed here, the most famous being

Jacques Mesrine Jacques Mesrine (; 28 December 1936 – 2 November 1979) was a French criminal responsible for numerous murders, bank robberies, burglaries, and kidnappings in France, the US, and Canada. Mesrine repeatedly escaped from prison and made ...

André Génovès André Génovès (1941 in Paris – 1 February 2012 in Thoiry) was a French film producer and director. Filmography * 1968: ''Les Biches'' * 1969: '' This Man Must Die'' * 1969: ''The Unfaithful Wife'' * 1970: '' Le Boucher'' * 1970: '' T ...

' film, ''

Mesrine Jacques Mesrine (; 28 December 1936 – 2 November 1979) was a French criminal responsible for numerous murders, bank robberies, burglaries, and kidnappings in France, the US, and Canada. Mesrine repeatedly escaped from prison and made in ...

'' released in 1983, also tells of the criminal plan to destroy the QHS. had sought to bring Jacques Mesrine out of prison when he was imprisoned in Mende. This area had also been the target of critics, such as those of the Committee of action of prisoners and

Serge Livrozet Serge Livrozet (21 October 1939 – 29 November 2022) was a French writer and ex-convict. Livrozet was born in 1939 in Toulon, France. He was well known for his work advocating against solitary confinement and the death penalty. He also acted, p ...

, in 1975. In 1989, the Mende detention centre was again publicised with the escape of , who managed to escape by threatening guards with a dummy gun. The last prison 'personality' of Mende, , activist of the alongside

José Bové Joseph "José" Bové (born 11 June 1953) is a French farmer, politician and syndicalist, member of the alter-globalization movement, and spokesman for Via Campesina. He was one of the twelve official candidates in the 2007 French presidential elec ...

, was imprisoned after the case of the

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

franchise destruction in

Twin towns – sister cities

Mende is twinned with: *

Wunsiedel (; Northern Bavarian: ''Wåuṉsieḏl'' or ''Wousigl'') is the seat of the Upper Franconian district of in northeast Bavaria, Germany. The town is the birthplace of poet Jean Paul. It also became known for its annual Festival and the Rudo ...

, Germany (1980) *

Volterra Volterra (; Latin: ''Volaterrae'') is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC and it has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods. History Volt ...

, Italy (1993) *

Vila Real Vila Real () is the capital and largest city of the Vila Real District, in the North region. It is also the seat of the Douro intermunicipal community and of the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro historical province. The Vila Real municipality cover ...

, Portugal (2003) Since 2007, the cities of Wunsiedel and Volterra are also paired together. The twinning with Vila Real (much more populous than the city of Mende) is explained by the fact that a large part of the Portuguese population of Mende, and Lozère in general, is from this region.

Population and society

Demographics

Demographic evolution

In contrast to the department of Lozère, the prefecture saw its demographic curve draw increasingly since the

. If the department was strongly affected by the and the great wars of the 20th century, the city had the presence of its own authorities. This may explain why Mende has not experienced the same trend as Lozère. This table shows the demographic for the town of Mende, but it can be considered that the ''bassin Mendois'' ende areafollows the same trend. In 2017, the commune had 12,134 inhabitants.

Age structure

The Mende population is fairly young taking into account the ageing population of Lozère. Compared with the 1990 census, it is the age group of 15–29 years which has had the greatest increase at the expense of those aged 0–14 and 30–44 years. The number of near-

centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100 years. Because life expectancies worldwide are below 100 years, the term is invariably associated with longevity. In 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centen ...

s was also greater in 1999 than in 1990.

Immigration

In Mende, the share of the immigrant population represents about 8% of the total population. They originate mostly from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

(mainly from

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

. This being the image of immigration in the region. The Spanish immigration, which was very present in the middle of the twentieth century, has been disappearing since the 1970s.

Education

Mende has three nursery schools: ''Solelhons'' (the small Suns in Occitan), the Chênes school and Fontanilles school. They are in close relations with the primary schools of the Groupe solaire, Annex

Michel del Castillo Michel del Castillo (a.k.a. Michel Janicot del Castillo) born in 1933 in Madrid is a French writer. Biography Michel del Castillo was born in Madrid. His father, Michel Janicot, was French and his mother, Cándida Isabel del Castillo, Spanish. I ...

School and Fontanilles School, Jeanne d'Arc School dealing with private education. The public college of Henri-Bourillon is located in the former small seminary, and share places with the Lycée Chaptal. It hosts students from the city as well as a number from other neighbouring municipalities (

, Barjac,

, Saint-Bauzile, Saint-Étienne-du-Valdonnez, etc.). The private college is the college of . The continuity of private education is at the Lycée Notre-Dame. Another high school, the Lycée Emile Peytavin allows, in addition to general education, technical and vocational education. Finally, now attached to the Lycée Notre-Dame, we find the Private Professional Lycée Plaisance. Institutions of the city are also have one of the best success rates for the

Baccalauréat The ''baccalauréat'' (; ), often known in France colloquially as the ''bac'', is a French national academic qualification that students can obtain at the completion of their secondary education (at the end of the ''lycée'') by meeting certain ...

diploma, compared with the other schools in the area, which puts them in the first half best institutions of France. At the level of higher education, Mende welcomes a BTS in its different high schools. An , branch of the

, offers four courses: Multimedia, gerontology, City Council Secretary, and tourism. It is located in the buildings of the former Lamolle barracks, which had housed the . Finally the city also houses a teacher training Institute, an (IFSIL), a and a .

Cultural events and festivities

The festivities of the town of Mende are held annually in the month of August. They were related to the feast of , on 21 August. They are decorated with a flower parade and the election of "Miss Mende". Then, in September, every other year, Mende hosts its beer festival, with its twin town of

. The city has also several sports events. At the cultural level, the "meetings of writers" were organized at the beginning of the 1990s, in August. They have welcomed regional authors but also renowned authors such as

Calixthe Beyala Calixthe Beyala (born 1961) is a Cameroonian-French writer who writes in French. Biography A Cameroonian author and member of the Eton people, Calixthe Beyala was born in Sa'a to Cameroonian parents. Her aunt and grandmother were particula ...

and Michel Folco.

Health

The department has a hospital, which opened in 1970. Five of the six services are located in Mende:

Guy de Chauliac Guy de Chauliac (), also called Guido or Guigo de Cauliaco ( 1300 – 25 July 1368), was a French physician and surgeon who wrote a lengthy and influential treatise on surgery in Latin, titled '' Chirurgia Magna''. It was translated into many othe ...

Hospital, the retirement home, the convalescence centre, the Training Institute in Nursing and boarding school. The sixth branch, another retirement home, is based at

Rieutort-de-Randon Rieutort-de-Randon (; oc, Riutòrt de Randon) is a former commune in the Lozère department in southern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Monts-de-Randon. The hospital has approximately 70 physicians and 750 health professionals. Moreover, since 2011, it welcomes in its structure the home of the

Paul Éluard Paul Éluard (), born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (; 14 December 1895 – 18 November 1952), was a French poet and one of the founders of the Surrealist movement. In 1916, he chose the name Paul Éluard, a matronymic borrowed from his maternal ...

psychological and psychiatric unit, a branch of the of

Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole (; oc, Sent Auban) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. It is situated in the northern parts of the Lozère department. See also *Communes of the Lozère department The following is a list o ...

. To this one can add 20 physicians, general practitioners and specialists as well as a centre of firefighters. Though, if the implementation of the current hospital is fairly recent, the city has a fairly old hospital story. In the 12th century was the "alms house" for the population. This hospital, located on ''Rue Angiran'', derived its income from the operation of a mill in the district of La Vernède, as well as donations of the lords of the lands.Buffière, tome I, p.654-657 It was partially destroyed in 1593 during the construction of a nearby citadel. Though the citadel disappeared in 1597, the hospital was not repaired immediately. From 1635 a budget was allocated for the rebuilding of the institution. It would not be built in the same place, and would take the name of "Hospital of Aygues-Passes". In 1677 became and thus Count of Gévaudan. In his first year as bishop, he rebuilt a new hospital which became the "general hospital". In 1702 it enlarged, and at his death he bequeathed it all of his possessions. This hospital, today the Piencourt residence, remained in use until the inauguration of the hospital. Added to this hospital, two establishments existed following periods of epidemics, both which were outside the city. A plague centre, referred to as 'House of God', was established in the district of Janicot. At the Saint-Jean Bridge (now Pont-Roupt), a ''maladrerie'' was rebuilt in 1242, intended for the accommodation of lepers.

Sports

Mende is, by its number of licensees and all events, a sports town. Therefore, she was elected twice the by the daily newspaper ''

L'Équipe ''L'Équipe'' (, French for "the team") is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of association football, rugby, motorsport, and cycling. Its predecessor ...

'' (1988 and 1998) and a finalist in 2011. It is one of only a few cities of France to have achieved this distinction twice.

Facilities

Mende features a sports zone known as the ''Complexe sportif de Jean Jacques Delmas'' ports complex of Jean Jacques Delmas in honour of his death, having been originally of this project he was the mayor of Mende for 25 years. There are 3 football/rugby pitches (the Stade du Chapitre and 2 training grounds), the semi-Olympic pool, tennis courts, a fitness room, a skate-park, a street-ball court, table-tennis hall and archery/shooting. It is in this complex which the '"Festival of sport" takes place every two years. Chapitre Stadium, enlarged at the

Mediterranean Games The Mediterranean Games is a multi-sport event organised by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM). It is held every four years among athletes from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Asia and Europe. The ...

has 500 seats, but this figure may be largely surpassed during some matches. Installed on the causse d'Auge are three soccer/rugby fields and an athletics track, which came to replace the old track of Mirandol. The Stade de Mirandol had the municipal stadium office until the 1980s. Since 2006, an equestrian centre is also located on the causse, it comes in addition to the aging Sirvens centre located at the exit of the city. Finally, the causse d'Auge was the chosen site, in 2008, for the construction of a new gymnasium, opposite the football fields. offers a freestyle park, many hiking, mountain biking and running trails, a jogging track and a football field. On the Lot, since 1983, a canoe base has been developed in order to practice several water sports. Near the Chaptal Lycée and the Henri Bourrillon College is the La Vernède complex. In this area are two gymnasiums, a dojo, a gymnastics Hall, one dance, one climbing (over an area outdoors), a covered petanque pitch and one outdoors. Before the construction of the gymnasium of La Vernède, this place was that of the municipal swimming pool and two tennis courts. Close to other educational institutions, other gyms are installed. There are six in all in the city: La Vernède, Lycée Notre-Dame, Piencourt, Lycée Chaptal, Lycée Théophile Roussel and college Saint-Privat.

Sports clubs

Many clubs share the facilities of the city.

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

club Éveil Mendois evolved in

CFA2 The Championnat National 3, commonly referred to as simply National 3 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur 2, is a football league competition. The league serves as the fifth division of the French football league system behind ...

during two seasons (2000–01 and 2001–02), its successor, AF Lozère, plays in the (6th division). The Éveil Mendois football club came from the of the same name, founded in 1920. One of the highlights of its history remains a finish in the last 32 of

Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and profession ...

final played opposite

Angoulême Angoulême (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Engoulaeme''; oc, Engoleime) is a commune, the prefecture of the Charente department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Angoumoisins ...

on 24 January 1999. More recently, Mende moved up to the last 16 of the finals at the 2013 Coupe de France, winning on this occasion the "ranking of the Petits Poucets". The key club is the (formerly Mende Volley Ball) which plays in the Elite division, for the season 2014-2014 (3rd national division). At the top level, the MVL has a title of obtained at the end of the 2008-2009 season and a participation in the third round of the 2010-2011 Coupe de France. Of

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

(''Rugby Club Mende Lozère''), it found its place in

Fédérale 3 Fédérale 3 is the seventh division of rugby union in France. The competition involves 226 clubs in 21 pools of 8, and winners can progress up into higher division of competition. The competition above Fédérale 3 is Fédérale 2 and above that, ...

in 2006, but returned to the regional level in the 2010s. The club however already evolved to a higher level a few years previously. The

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...

team (''Mende Gévaudan Club'') is evolving in 2014-2015 in the National 3 France Championship. Finally, the

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team (''basketball Causses Mendois'') was found in 2014-2015 at the regional level. For women there are also handball, volleyball and basketball clubs which are Mendois clubs of highest level. Mende can be granted a special status to

orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a ...

, an individual sport with team competitions. The fact remains that Mende is playing in the elite league of France, and ''M. G. C. Pétanque'' and its three veteran champions of France in 2007. Sports diversity does not stop there. Mende clubs also include roller hockey (''Les Comets''). Mende is also home to individual sports:

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from ...

motorcycling Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small- displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in the most populous c ...

, as well as many combat sports clubs. Since the beginning of the 2000s, a sports centre was set up to accompany young high school athletes to prepare for the best level. From the membership of the COL (centre omnisports Lozère), there is (France MTB 2010 downhill champion) and Fanny Lombard (Junior Champion of Europe 2009 and 2010 in the same discipline).

Top athletes

Among professional sportspeople born in Mende, is the road cyclist Christophe Laurent who shone by winning the jersey for the best climber of the

Tour de l'Avenir Tour de l'Avenir ( en, Tour of the Future) is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independen ...

and the

Tour of California The Tour of California (officially sponsored as the Amgen Tour of California) was an annual professional road cycling stage race on the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that ran from 2006 to 2019. It was the only event on the ...

. The

motorcyclist Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small- displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in the most populous c ...

, winner of the prologue of the

Paris-Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, ...

(1991), also hails from Mende. He was one of the best

enduro Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on extended cross-country, off-road courses. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges. The main type of enduro event, and the format to which the World Enduro Championship is run, is ...

riders with the palmares of France, and was also vice World champion. Kayaker

Brigitte Guibal Brigitte Guibal (born 15 February 1971 in Mende, Lozère) is a French slalom canoeist who competed from the early 1990s to the early 2000s. She won the silver medal in the K1 event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Guibal also won two me ...

, Olympic silver medallist in 2000 in Sydney, was also born in Mende. It is in 1988 that Marion Buisson was born in Mende. After making her

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

debut at the ''Éveil mendois'', she continued her career at Clermont athletics. She became champion of France in the pole vault in , thereby achieving the minimum to participate in the

Beijing Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nati ...

Sporting events

Each year, the , an

competition, centres its course on the city of Mende. This race is part of the most renowned of the enduro season and allows, in addition, mixing professional and amateur riders. One month later (July), the city centre is dedicated to foot racing and the arrival of . This race starts from

, joining Mende by the Col de Goudard and the Côte de Chabrits. It is sometimes used as a preparation

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

for major events (the World Championships, Olympic Games), but is also open to amateurs as the majority of the marathons. Since 2006, the month of July is also marked by the organisation of a national of

pétanque Pétanque (, ; oc, petanca, , also or ) is a sport that falls into the category of boules sports, along with raffa, bocce, boule lyonnaise, lawn bowls, and crown green bowling. In all of these sports, players or teams play their boules/balls ...

. Cycling is also in honour of the city. The hosted the best professionals in the 1970s. Since then, the has seen five stage finishes in the

(1995, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018), and stages in the

, the

Grand Prix du Midi Libre The Grand Prix du Midi Libre (referred to as just Midi Libre) was a multiple-stage road cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation co ...

, the and Paris-Nice. Since 2006 and the rebirth of the

Tour du Gévaudan Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...

, Mende is judged the final arrival of this amateur race of great importance. In 2008, the event was organised as the ''Finale de la Coupe des France des clubs'' inal of the Cup of France for clubs During the winter, a grand prix of regional cyclo-cross is also organized. The grand departure of the Tour de France VTT 1996, as well as the first two stages, happened at Mende. Mende was also host city of the

in 1993 by hosting

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

, and

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

events. In October 2005, the city hosted the 37th national congress of the French hiking federation, Lozère being a popular department for hikers, and is crossed by two of the most important roads of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Then, in 2007, Mende was the host of a round of the French enduro championships, as well as the final of the Coupe de France

rally Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade * Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event Sports ...

. In 2008, France welcomed the enduro European grand prix, the final of the World Championship (WEC). It was the town of

which was chosen to host the competition. However the organization was forced to give up, and it was finally hosted by Mende on 11 and 12 October 2008. In 2011, the city hosted the Grand Prix of France, final of the World Championship.

Media

Mende is the seat of most of the media of Lozére. Thus we find the writings of the Lozère edition of ''

Midi Libre ''Midi Libre'' () is a French daily newspaper in Montpellier that covers general news. It began publication in 1944. Since 1949, the newspaper has organised a cycling stage race, the Grand Prix du Midi Libre The Grand Prix du Midi Libre (ref ...

'' and ew Lozère with regard to the written press. The radio station

France Bleu France Bleu is a network of local and regional radio stations in France, part of the national public broadcasting group Radio France. The network has a public service mission to serve local audiences and provides local news and content from each ...

and have their editorial offices in Lozère. While Radio Eaux-Vives Lozère is installed at the former Grand Seminary.

Worship

The town of Mende is the episcopal seat of

and Lozère, religious life has always been linked with its bishops. Also chapter headquarters, Mende has welcomed a large number of

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

s. A religious brotherhood, the "Brotherhood of the White Penitents" has long existed and has a procession every

Holy Thursday Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday (also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the ...

since the 17th century. The Tower of the Penitents (called so because it is adjacent to the chapel of the penitents) is one of the last vestiges of the ramparts of the city. The large and small

seminaries A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

are traces of the presence of the formation of

Catholic priests The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...

. The main place of worship is the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

of Notre-Dame and Saint-Privat, built at the request of Pope Urban V, in place of the old church built over the tomb of but the city has many small chapels. One of the oldest is the chapel of Saint-Ilpide, on the hill of the executioner, which however was destroyed and replaced by a small chapel. Two other chapels are no longer used: That of the Penitents (future Museum of Religious Art) and the Chapel of Saint-Dominique (exhibition hall). The Chapel of the Hermitage (on ) and the cave which was drilled alongside, can still be used for offices. The

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...

has existed since 1880 and has hosted a community of Carmelite nuns, which ensures production of altar bread (or wafers) for the diocese (and those nearby). Another Convent is installed in Mende, which is the Adoration of Picpus Convent. At the ''Rue de la Chicanette'' is installed the Jeanne Delanoue community of the Providence; little used for celebration services, the place is used for meetings between people in the religious world. The community is at the origin of the creation of the institution Notre-Dame-de-la-Providence, a social children's home adjacent to its premises and which hosts minors under administrative and judicial protection. There are of other religious communities, mainly related to private schools and retirement or rest homes. Worship in Mende, due to its history, is very oriented towards

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, but there are other places of worship for other religions. Thus Mende, near of the

, has a

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

installed in the ''Allée Paul Doumer''. The city also had a

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of wor ...

in the former

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

quarter, but it has long since been abandoned. This synagogue, also called Ferrier House from the name of one of its former owners, is the last vestige of the Mende ghetto. The Jews were expelled from the Gévaudan in the 14th century, and this synagogue became the (Catholic) college of All Saints until the

. Whilst counting the presence of a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

community, the city has no

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

, but simply an apartment that serves as place of worship.

Economy

Industrial (

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

industry, jewelry), service centre (shops, restaurants, bars), administrative (generates a lot of jobs) and tourism (medieval town, excursions to

), Mende is the starting point for the establishment of new businesses in the department, and turned more towards new technologies, with the advent of the technological hub. The city has more than 1300 companies, including about 900 in the commercial sector, and has an unemployment rate of 10.7% (2017).

Zones of activities

The city has five zones of economic activities (ZAE), each having a rather clearly defined role. The largest is the ZAE of the Causse d'Auge (north of the city), with a mainly industrial orientation in automation or in the management of the wood. The ZI of Gardès, on the road to

is an industrial area covering public works and mainly the building companies. The ZAE Lou Chaousse and Chabrits (both in the northwest) also have a vocation craft, but more oriented towards the trade for individuals. And finally, the ''Pôle lozérien d'économie numérique'' (POLeN) is turned to the new technologies. In addition, since the mid-2000s, the de Ramille was created. This area, wedged between the Lot and the RN 88 on the road to Balsièges hosts a commercial zone which has tended to develop. It is without doubt, with the area of the Causse d'Auge, the area of activity that has extended most recently. In the near future a new area of activity should emerge north of Mende, in the commune of Badaroux. This area whose size is expected to reach approximately initially, would be served by the landscaped expressway.

The agricultural past

If the commune no longer has many farms, the city remains at the centre of a very rural area and is very oriented towards agriculture. Indeed, 54% of the Lozère territory is classified as a "utilised agricultural area". Livestock in the commune is mainly dedicated to the sheep sector, although cattle farms are found located between Mende and neighbouring communes. This attraction to sheep is ancestral to Mende, since the city has long lived wool exploitation, since the 16th century. In 1333 the city already had a brotherhood of the weavers.Buffière, tome II, chap. 45 In 1849, the town was still equipped with five large mills. However, while having a rich textile past, the city now retains no activity.

Industry

Like the Lozère department, industry in Mende is mainly oriented towards the

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

sector: Its operation, its treatment, its derivatives, etc. Another industry that holds an important place in the city is that of construction and public works.

Shops and services

Mende is also the seat of the that handles . The city is strongly turned towards the

tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...

. As said above, a majority of the enterprises of the city are shops. Mende is the centre of an area's population of approximately 25,000 inhabitants around the Lot Valley, the city therefore centralises much of the services. Its quality of prefecture adds to the presence of public service.

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

has also developed since the end of the 20th century. This openness on tourism translated between 1983 and 2008 by the creation of the office of tourism (municipal and intermunicipal), an increase of 400 beds offered to tourists, the opening of a holiday village and of a youth hostel, but also the creation of activity centre (

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

base, Freestyle Park, etc.). The city has eleven hotels, four with three stars and four having two. To this one can add the holiday village of Chapitre that offers 42 gîtes for rent, as well as two campsites near the Lot. Other businesses are those that can be found in other modern cities (banks, insurance, bakeries, the press houses, clothes, etc.). The city has a supermarket and a hypermarket, as well as several

superette A superette is an alternative name for a compact supermarket or "mini-mart". Etymology In French, the ''ette'' ending conveys the idea of a smaller version of a supermarket ('). However, supermarket has been shortened to ''super'' - leaving ' ...

s and other discounters. The hypermarket, which is of recent construction, belongs to the

Système U Système U is a French symbol group retailers cooperative, comprising about eight hundred independent hypermarkets and supermarkets, headquartered in the Parc Tertiaire SILIC in Rungis, France France (), officially the French Re ...

group and is located in the new area of activity of Ramilles. The supermarket (

Intermarché Intermarché (English translation: Intermarket) is the brand of a general commercial French supermarket, part of the large retail group Les Mousquetaires founded in 1969 under the name EX Offices, by Jean-Pierre Le Roch. EX Offices was renamed I ...

) is, meanwhile, close to the city centre. Markets, vestiges of the traditional markets of the city are many, taking place on Wednesday (textile, utility, etc.) at ''Place Chaptal'', and on Saturday mornings (food market) at ''Place Chaptal'' and ''Place Urbain V''. In addition, night markets are held during the summer.

Business

The main companies in terms of turnover, as well as major private employers are:

Local culture and heritage

Places and monuments

Since 1981 Mende has been classified as a city of art,Ville de Mende
and, since 2000, the grouping of ''Mende and Lot in the Gévaudan'' has the label of " city and land of art and history". Indeed, the city has a rich architectural heritage, witness of the prosperous time related to the

papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. *The Cathedral Notre-Dame and Saint-Privat The

of Saint-Privat (classed as a

historical monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...

in 1906) whose construction began in 1368 at the initiative of

. Its bell towers date back, however, to the 16th century, following the destruction of one of them during the passage of the Huguenots by Matthieu Merle. The large belfry included housing ''"Non Pareille"'', the largest

bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

in the world melted between 1517 and 1521 in Villefort and destroyed during the

. There remains only the clapper. The cathedral consists of twelve rectangular chapels, two pentagonal chapels and a

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually locate ...

. Originally it was built above the Sainte-Thècle crypt where the body of Saint Privat had been buried. It is located next to the old episcopal palace. *Public

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were ori ...

s The city has many public fountains. Water from the causses thus enters a piping system located beneath the city before joining the Lot. Two of them (Aigues-Passe and Soubeyrand) are classified as historic monuments. Piped water also enters the old wash house of the Calquières, still visible on ''Rue d'Angiran''. *The Tower of the Penitents This tower is one of the few remains of the ancient walls of the 12th century. Protecting the Gate of Angiran which was next to it, this tower served as guard for the short-lived Seneschal of Mende. It includes three floors and an attic. This is the installation of the chapel which is adjacent, and especially its bell tower at the top which saved the tower during the destruction of the walls in 1768. sur Mende *The Notre-Dame Bridge Dating back to the 13th century, this bridge is one of the symbols of the city. It has never been carried away by frequent floods in Mende. It formerly went by the name of Peyrenc Bridge, then took the name of Notre Dame due to the presence on its mouth of a Virgin, which disappeared during the Wars of Religion. Its span has a opening and is high. *The Hermitage of Saint Privat Saint Privat withdrew, in the 3rd century, into caves that he had built over Mende, on . Since his Hermitage was built, it also to allow the pilgrims to go there. It can be accessed either by Way of the Cross (from the market) or by road from the causse (RD 25). At the hermitage, we find a hotel for the reception of the pilgrims,This hotel has since closed a chapel, grotto and a breakthrough designed to the original cave. *The former consular home The House where the consul sat, since 1578, also served as city hall after the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

. On its pediment is found the arms of the city: "''Azure in the Gothic M of or, a shining Sun similarly topped.''" Facing it is a

trompe-l'œil ''Trompe-l'œil'' ( , ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. ''Trompe l'oeil'', which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into ...

wall symbolizing the twinning of Mende and Volterra. *Bahours Castle Located in the northwest of the city, the Bahours locality had two castles, one of which was destroyed in 1960. The remaining one is a strong house (manse) built in the 17th century, possibly on the foundations of a more ancient building. The main interest of this strong house is its kitchen listed as a historical monument, like the whole building.

Cultural facilities

Mende features a municipal

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

and several rooms that can be used to this kind of show. The ancient theatre of the city turned into

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

. A development project involves the construction of a new multicultural hall. In addition, Mende has a departmental

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

, the Lamartine Library.

Theatres and auditoriums

The ancient theatre of the city, established between 1890 and 1895, was replaced by a cinema. The main room used for the theatre is now the festival hall located at the market. This room, and its natural scenery of arches, is multi-cultural and is the largest in the city in terms of capacity. On the market lies the ''antirouille'', a municipal building for young people and allowing everyone to have access to the

internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, p ...

, this building has a room to organize concerts. Near the market, along the ''Chemin Saint-Ilpide'', the Urban V municipal room hosts plays, live shows, and also meetings and projections (world knowledge, for example). Finally as part of the redevelopment of the market (started by the installation of the intercommunal tourism office and the renovation of the Lamartine Library), an auditorium should be created behind the festival hall (the Emile-Joly Square being moved).

Museums and exhibitions

The Ignon-Fabre Museum (or the Museum of Mende) was located on ''Rue de l'Epine'' treet of the Holy thorn at the , where there was installed the first electrification plant of the city. It was however closed due to lack of budget. Before it, a museum was located in a house next to the prison. The Chapel of Saint-Dominique and the current Department Hall can serve as an exhibition space, as can the Chapel of the Penitents and the former consular house. In addition a project of the Museum of , currently under study, should be installed in the Chapel of the Penitents.

Quotes on Mende

The poem, written by an author whose story did not retain the name, was confirmed in the 19th century: However, not everyone had a positive vision of the city. It had long had problems with sewage into the modern era, and was denigrated despite its charm: This quote comes perhaps from the conditions in which the geographer of the king came in the city. Like those who would declare to Serge Livrozet that Mende was ''capital of Lozère and torture''.

Personalities linked to the commune

Those born in Mende, or having a very strong tie with the city include:

Born in Mende

* (1709-1792), , deputy of the clergy of the Seneschal of Bazas and Dean of the members of the Estates General of 1792. * (1740-1817), art dealer and collector, founder of the society of fine arts in

* (1757-1844), . * (1786-1849), Member of Parliament for Lozère, . * (1813-1879), great

executioner An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who executes a sentence of capital punishment on a legally condemned person. Scope and job The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorising or order ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. * (1845-1925), French lieutenant, . * Marie Borrel, born around 1886, recognized as part of the

Lourdes Medical Bureau The Lourdes Medical Bureau (''Bureau des Constatations Médicales'') is an official medical organization based in Lourdes, France, within the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Its function is to transfer medical investigation of apparent cures asso ...

. * (1891-1944), lawyer. During World War II, he was mayor of the city before becoming a hero of the Resistance, deported to

Auschwitz Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed int ...

, then

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or sus ...

, died on German roads. * Gaby Bruyère (1924-1978), actress. *

Thierry Jean-Pierre Thierry Jean-Pierre (1955–2005) was a French judge and Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When ...

(1955-2005), investigative judge, a lawyer and politician. *

Claude Érignac Claude Jean Pierre Érignac (; 15 December 1937 – 6 February 1998) was a French prefect on the island of Corsica. Érignac was born in Mende, Lozère. In the course of his political career, he had been prefect of several departments and ...

(1937-1998), French officer, prefect of Corsica. *, officer French general, best known as the founder and head of the ''Chantiers de la Jeunesse'' during the Vichy regime. * (1941-1981), politician, Deputy of

Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and I ...

. * Michel Rostain, born in 1942, theatre director and writer,

Prix Goncourt du premier roman The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward ...

in 2011 * Francis Saint-Léger born in 1957, politician, Member of Parliament for Lozère. * Élisabeth Filhol, born in 1965, writer. *

, born in 1971, kayaker. * Quentin Elias (1974-2014), singer and former member of the boy band Alliage, model and actor in adult films. * Christophe Laurent, born in 1977, professional cyclist. * Marion Buisson, born in 1988, pole vaulter. *, born in 1991, handball player *, born in 1992, footballer

Linked to the commune

* Urban V (1310-1370),

, born in the commune of

but strongly attached to the episcopal capital of Gévaudan. *

Jean-Antoine Chaptal Jean-Antoine Chaptal, comte de Chanteloup (5 June 1756 – 30 July 1832) was a French chemist, physician, agronomist, industrialist, statesman, educator and philanthropist. His multifaceted career unfolded during one of the most brilliant periods ...

(1756-1832), born in the vicinity of Mende, but in the commune of Badaroux, it is however very linked to the city. He was a chemist, businessman and Councillor of State under

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

. He was the inventor of chaptalisation (process aimed at improving the quality of the

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

). * (1796-1864), Bishop of Saint-Dié was educated at Mende, from the time his father was the first prefect of the Lozère. *. Engineer and French diplomat. Prefect of Lozère from 1869 to 1870. * Paul Doumer (1857-1932), before becoming President of the Republic, he was a college professor in Mende. *

Clovis Brunel Clovis Brunel was a French philologist and writer. Selected works * ''Les miracles de saint Privat. ''Suivis des ''Opuscules d'Aldebert III, évêque de Mende'', Paris, A. Picard, 1912 * éd. de Bertran de Marseille, ''La vie de sainte Énimi ...

(1884-1971) born in

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...

, but who long worked as an archivist in Mende. *

Joseph Joanovici Joseph Joanovici (also Ioinovici or Joinovici, 1905 –1965) was a French Jewish merchant of scrap metal who supplied both Nazi Germany and the French Resistance during the German occupation of France in World War II. Early life Joseph Joanovici ...

(1905-1965), under house arrest in Mende. * Alexandre Grothendieck (1928-2014), mathematician, winner of the Fields Medal. As a child, he was deported to the camp of Rieucros. * (1808-1876), physician and botanist, studied at the seminary and became a Bachelor of Arts, there, in 1827.

Heraldry, motto and logo

Coat of arms of 1475

When King

granted autonomy to the city, he granted new arms in 1469. An 'L' surmounted by a crown, in gratitude to the king, was added to these in 1475.

Current blazon

The current coat of arms dates from the sixteenth century. These weapons were registered in the Armorial General of France in 1697.A. Martin, ''Notice historique sur la ville de Mende'', 1893, réédition chez Lacour/Redivia, 1991, p.41

Explanatory notes

Citations

General bibliography

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

Mende
(in French, photographs)
City council website

Office de Tourisme Mende
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mende, Lozere Communes of Lozère Gévaudan Prefectures in France