Frontignan (; ) 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 southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. Frontignan is renowned for its AOC wine, the

Muscat de Frontignan Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was 1 ...

, a sweet wine made solely from the

Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was ...

grape variety. Map commune FR insee code 34108

Geography

Frontignan is located in 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 approximatel ...

coastal plain between the towns of

Sète Sète (; oc, Seta, ), also historically spelt ''Cette'' (official until 1928) and ''Sette'', is a commune in the Hérault department, in the region of Occitania, southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Sétois'' (male) and ''Sétoises ...

and Montpellier. The town is surrounded by the Gardiole hills to the north, the Ingril lagoon in the east, the

Étang de Thau The Étang de Thau (; oc, Estanh de Taur) or Bassin de Thau is the largest of a string of lagoons (''étangs'') that stretch along the French coast from the Rhône river to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the border to Spain in the Languedoc-R ...

to the west and the Mediterranean shore (including the beach resort Frontignan-Plage) to the south. The Rhône-Sète canal separates the inland town centre and Frontignan-Plage. Frontignan station has rail connections ( TER Occitanie) to Narbonne, Montpellier and Avignon.

History

* 1362 foundation of the fortress * 1560 ransacked by the Protestants * 16 June 1642: King

Louis XIII of France 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 crown. ...

and

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...

meet in Frontignan. * 1787:

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the nati ...

, future president of the United States, stays in Frontignan and reportedly enjoys the local Muscat de Frontignan wine. * 28 June 1940: The car driven by

Paul Reynaud Paul Reynaud (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...

hits a tree at La Peyrade, killing his mistress

Helene de Portes Helene or Hélène may refer to: People * Helene (given name), a Greek feminine given name *Helen of Troy, the daughter of Zeus and Leda *Helene, a figure in Greek mythology who was a friend of Aphrodite and helped her seduce Adonis *Helene (Am ...

. Reynaud is hospitalized, arrested on discharge, and imprisoned for the duration of the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

.Pelayo, D. (2009) L'accident de Paul Reynaud. ''l'Agglorieuse''
/ref> * 25 June 1944: The Frontignan oil refineries and parts of the city (including the rail station) are bombed by the 15th USAAF causing some 40 civilian deaths. * 12 August 1944:Battery Frontignan is attacked by the 465th BG in preparation of the invasion of Southern France on 15 August 1944. * 31 December 2002: Frontignan together with the neighboring towns of

Balaruc-les-Bains Balaruc-les-Bains (; oc, Los Banhs de Balaruc) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hérault department *Balaruc *Étang de Thau The Étang de Thau (; ...

Balaruc-le-Vieux Balaruc-le-Vieux (; oc, Balaruc Vièlh) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hérault department * Balaruc *Étang de Thau The Étang de Thau (; oc, Es ...

, Vic-la-Gardiole, Mireval, Gigean and Marseillan joins the ''Communauté d'agglomération du Bassin de Thau'' (since 2017: Sète Agglopôle Méditerranée).

Population

In 1800, Frontignan was home to around 1400 individuals. Until the 20th century, Frontignan had a population of less than 4000. In 2007, there were over 23,000.

Sights

* Old town centre with remains of the fortress dating back to the 14th century * Saint Paul's Church (in parts 12th century) * The Penitents' chapel (including the city's museum) * Maison Population (early 20th century) * Château Stony * Château de la Peyrade * La Peyrade bridge (17th century) * Yacht port * Natural reserve beaches * Aresquiers natural reserve * Argeliès caves

Economy

Until the early 20th century the local economy was based on the production of marine salt and wine. Later petro-chemical and chemical industries predominate with a steady decline in the 1980s. The oil refinery that opened in 1900 was converted to a simple depot in 1986. Since the end of the 20th century, modern fisheries and high-tech plastics take over. Seasonal tourism is a dominant part of the local economy. Important businesses in Frontignan include: * Distrisud S.A. * Indubois S.A.S. * Hexis S.A. * Barba S.A.S. * Frontignan Coopérative S.C.A. * Mobil Concepts s.à.r.l.

Culture

*Frontignan is the hometown of the writer

Maurice Clavel Maurice Clavel () (1920-1979) was a French writer, journalist, and philosopher. Youth Maurice Clavel was born on 10 November 1920 in Frontignan, Hérault to a family headed by a father who was a pharmacist. This conservative milieu of small shop ...

. *Every year since 1998 Frontignan organises the annual ''Festival International du Roman Noir'' (for

noir fiction Noir fiction (or roman noir) is a subgenre of crime fiction. Definition In its modern form, noir has come to denote a marked darkness in theme and subject matter, generally featuring a disturbing mixture of sex and violence and death in some ...

). *

Bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms w ...

and river jousting are the traditional sports.

International relations

Frontignan is twinned with: *

Gaeta Gaeta (; lat, Cāiēta; Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a city in the province of Latina, in Lazio, Southern Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The town has played a consp ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

* Vizela,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal: :* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian ...

* Pineda de Mar,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

* M'Diq,

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 ...