Pézenas (; Languedocien: ''Pesenàs'') is a commune in the

Hérault Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.department in the Occitanie

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 ...

in 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 ...

Name

The name "Pézenas" is derived from the older name ''Piscenae'', probably from the Latin word ''piscenis'', meaning fishpond. According to legend, there was a lake full of fish behind the château. Inhabitants of Pézenas are ''Piscenois''.

Origins

The origins of Pézenas are unclear, but were influenced by three factors: water from the River Peyne, an ancient pre-Roman route from

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 ...

Saint-Thibéry Saint-Thibéry (; oc, Sant Tibèri) is a commune in the Hérault ''département'' in the Occitanie region in southern France. The village of Saint-Thibéry is built at the confluence of the Rivers Thongue and Hérault. The old Roman road "V ...

and a defensive hill site.

Population

Sights

Pézenas has had a protected area (''Secteur sauvegardé'') since June 1965 - the 14th created by the

French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visua ...

. The ministry lists 118 historical edifices in Pézenas, more than 30 of which are protected after being classified "Historical Monuments". The main sights include: * The old town centre with narrow streets and Hôtel Privet or Mansions (rather grand Town Houses from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, when Pézenas was the seat of the Governors of Languedoc): hôtel de Lacoste, hôtel de Carrion-Nizas, hôtel de Landes de Saint Palais, hôtel Flottes de Sebazan, hôtel d'Alfonce, hôtel Malibran, hôtel l'Epine, hôtel Grasset. * The Collégiale Saint-Jean church (18th century), designed by Jean-Baptiste Franque, contains an organ by Jean François Lépine. * Church of Saint-Jean-de-Bébian, romanesque, classed as a ''

Monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a col ...

'' (historic monument). * The church of Sainte-Ursule, built in 1686 by the master mason Antoine Carrier, became the parish church after the

Concordat A concordat is a convention between the Holy See and a sovereign state that defines the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in matters that concern both,René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960 st Edi ...

. * Molière Monument (1897) by

Jean-Antoine Injalbert Jean-Antoine Injalbert (1845–1933) was a much-decorated French sculptor, born in Béziers. Life The son of a stonemason, Injalbert was a pupil of Augustin-Alexandre Dumont and won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1874. At the Exposition Uni ...

. * Theatre: originally a church built in 1590 - the Chapelle des Pénitents Noirs (chapel of the Black Penitents). After 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 ...

, it was sold as a national asset and converted to a theatre in 1803. Its present internal appearance dates from a general renovation between 1899 and 1901. Subsequently, unchanged, it was used as a theatre until it closed in 1947. The building contains souvenirs of

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

. The property of the commune, the theatre has been classified since 1995 as a ''

monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a col ...

'' by the

. Following more than 10 years of renovation, the richly decorated theatre reopened in May 2012 and may be visited by the public. * L'illustre Théâtre: theatre in converted warehouse, with performances all year round. * Musée de Vulliod Saint-Germain: museum with collections illustrating the town's history and a room dedicated to Molière. The ''hôtel particulier'' that hosts the museum was donated to the city by François, Baron de Vulliod, during 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 ...

. * Door museum * Toy museum

Transport

* Road:

Route nationale 9 The Route nationale 9, or ''RN 9'', was a trunk road ( nationale) in France between Moulins and the frontier with Spain. Reclassification Much of the route of the RN 9 has now been/or in the process of being upgraded or replaced by the A75 auto ...

, which used to pass through the town centre, was replaced by a bypass which now forms the part of the A75 autoroute from

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 ...

Béziers Béziers (; oc, Besièrs) is a subprefecture of the Hérault department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Every August Béziers hosts the famous ''Feria de Béziers'', which is centred on bullfighting. A million visitors are attra ...

. * Rail: The nearest main line station is

Agde Agde (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in Southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi. Location Agde is located on the Hérault river, from the Mediterranean Sea, and from Paris. The Canal du Midi connec ...

. Two single track lines used to serve Pézenas. The track from

has been removed, though the station (Gare du Nord) still exists as a cultural centre. Although notionally still part of the national rail network, in reality the line from Vias, near Agde, is closed. It was used into the 21st century by occasional freight trains serving a quarry further north. Since at least 2011, a section at St Thibéry, some five miles () to the south of Pézenas, is in use as a 'Pedalorail' leisure facility. However, the track remains in place throughout and the Gare du Midi is extant and in use as a medical centre. *Air: The nearest international airport is

Béziers Cap d'Agde Airport Béziers Cap d'Agde Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport Béziers Cap d'Agde) is an airport serving the town of Béziers and nearby Languedoc coastal resorts including Cap d'Agde. It is 11.5 km (6.2 NM) southeast of Béziers, near Vias in t ...

. Daily flights to Paris Orly ceased in early 2009. Since 2008, international services have been established, currently to the UK, Belgium, Germany and Sweden. There are also flights to

Beauvais Beauvais ( , ; pcd, Bieuvais) is a city and commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise département, in the Hauts-de-France region, north of Paris. The commune of Beauvais had a population of 56,020 , making it the most popul ...

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 ...

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 ...

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ca, Perpinyà ; es, Perpiñán ; it, Perpignano ) is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the ...

and

Carcassonne Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the Aud ...

airports are all within easy reach. A small grass airstrip at nearby Nizas was closed in 2014 for the expansion of a quarry.

Personalities

Pézenas was the birthplace of: * Émile Mazuc (b. 24 July 1832), author of

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 ...

dialect grammar - ''Grammaire Languedocienne:Dialecte de Pézénas'' (1899, reprinted 1970 by Slatkine Reprints, Geneva) * Paul Vidal de la Blache (1845–1918), geographer, regarded as the father of modern French geography * Louis Paulhan (1883–1963), pioneering French pilot *

Jean Bène Jean Bène (12 July 1901 – 26 April 1992) was a lifelong politician in France and a leader in the French Resistance. Biography Bène was born in Pézenas, Hérault. Initially a lawyer, he turned to politics. He was a member of the Parti So ...

(1901–1992), lawyer, politician and Resistance leader *

Boby Lapointe Robert Jean-François Joseph Pascal Lapointe (; 16 April 1922 – 29 June 1972), better known by his stage name Boby Lapointe (), was a French actor and singer, noted for his humorous texts, alliterationsSee the titles: ''Aubade à Lydie en do'' ...

(1922–1972): writer, singer, comedian * Hippolyte Annex (b. 14 February 1933), French middleweight boxing champion * Bernie Ripoll MP (b. 6 January 1966), Australian politician, Member for Oxley, Queensland * Éric Dubus (b. 28 February 1966), former middle-distance runner People linked with Pézenas *

(Jean-Baptiste Poquelin) (1622–1673), playwright, stayed in Pézenas with his theatre group ''l'Illustre Théâtre''. * Gabriel François Venel (1723–1775) chemist, author of ''l'Encyclopédie méthodique de chimie'' (1796), inventor of seltzer water, lived and worked in the town and has a street named after him. ''(See French wikipedia article)'' * Lord Clive (1725–1774) stayed in the town in 1768 on his way back from India, supposedly giving it the recipe for the ''Petit Pâté de Pézenas''. * Jean-Baptiste Pillement (1728 – 1808), a

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

painter, famous for his chinoiserie and landscapes * Edmond Charlot (1915–2004), editor in Free French

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques d ...

during the 1940s, and discoverer of

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

, lived in Pézenas from 1980.

Local specialities

* ''Le petit pâté de Pézenas'': a small sweet/savoury pie supposedly made to a recipe from Clive of India. (see below) *''Le berlingot de Pézenas'': boiled sugar sweets

Le petit pâté de Pézenas

The size and shape of a large cotton reel, these little sweet, spiced mutton pies are a golden brown, with crispy pastry and a moist, sweet interior. They can be eaten as an ''

hors d'oeuvre An hors d'oeuvre ( ; french: hors-d'œuvre ), appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the ...

'', with a salad or as a dessert. They are cooked in ''patisseries'' all over the town, but their origin is far from local. Tradition has it that Lord Clive brought the recipe from India and taught it to the pastry makers of Pézenas when he was staying at the Château de Larzac in 1768. It is more likely that his servants were responsible. In the BBC TV programme '' MasterChef: The Professionals'', broadcast on 27 November 2012,

Michel Roux, Jr. Michel Albert Roux (born 23 May 1960) previously known as Michel Roux Jr., is an English-French two Michelin starred chef. He owns the London restaurant ''Le Gavroche.'' Early life Roux was born at Pembury maternity hospital in Kent, whilst ...

demonstrated how to cook the dish and set it as the classic recipe for contestants to make.

Le Poulain de Pézenas

Like several of the surrounding towns and villages, Pézenas has a "totem animal"; in this case a huge hobby horse called ''Le Poulain'' (''lo poulain'' or ''lo polin'' in Occitan), which means "the colt". It is said to commemorate a visit to the town in 1226 by Louis VIII, during which the king's favourite mare fell ill. She had to be left behind in Pézenas while Louis continued with the

Albigensian Crusade The Albigensian Crusade or the Cathar Crusade (; 1209–1229) was a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, southern France. The Crusade was prosecuted primarily by the French crow ...

. On his return he was astonished to find that not only was his mare now fully recovered, but she had also given birth to a fine colt, which was duly presented to him, adorned with ribbons. In return he decreed that the town should construct a wooden colt to be used to celebrate all its public festivities. The first mention of the custom is in 1615. The earliest publication of the legend accounting for the horse's existence dates from 1701. The ''Poulain'' appears for

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fa ...

and other festive occasions. It is carried by nine men and led by another, accompanied by a band of musicians. The ''Poulain'' has a realistically carved wooden head, with snapping jaws and an extending neck that can reach up to first-floor windows; ''l'obole'' (small amounts of money) or other offerings put into its mouth tumble down inside its neck. Its semi-cylindrical body is covered with a dark blue cloth decorated with stars and the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of Pézenas. Below the frame it has a tricolor skirt. The ''Poulain'' carries two effigies on its back, one male, one female, called ''Estieinou'' and ''Estieinette'' or ''Estieineta'' (sometimes spelled ''Estiénon'' and ''Estiéneta'' in the French manner), recalling another royal occasion when

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crow ...

visited the town in 1622. A follower of the King, the Maréchal de Bassompierre, was crossing the river Peyne on horseback. He saw a peasant-woman attempting the crossing on foot and gallantly offered her a seat on his horse. The unlikely couple's arrival in the town caused great amusement and the two effigies were made to remember the event.Bastian, Jean-Marie, "''Le Poulain, Pézenas''", pp2–3, Cercle de Collectionneurs de Pézenas, May 2009

International relations

Pézenas is twinned with

Market Drayton Market Drayton is a market town and electoral ward in the north of Shropshire, England, close to the Cheshire and Staffordshire borders. It is on the River Tern, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" (c. 1868) and earlier simply as " ...

, England, birthplace of Lord Clive, Clive of India