Quarante (; oc, Cranta) 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 Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the

Occitanie Occitanie may refer to: *Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French *Occitania (administrative region) Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occitània ; ca, Occitània ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...

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 and t ...

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 ...

. Quarante is a hilltop medieval village from the Gallo-Roman era, just 1km from the famous 17th century Canal du Midi, 8km from Capestang, 25km from Béziers, and 35km from the Mediterranean Sea. The closest train station and regional airport is in Béziers, and 59km to the north is the city of Carcassonne, famous for its medieval walled citadel. International airports within an hour are; Carcassonne, Perpignan, Montpellier, and with Toulouse being two hours away. Installed on a Roman oppidum, the town had a significant occupation during those times, as evidenced by the artifacts found and available for viewing in the local museum. The Sainte-Marie de Quarante Abbey, built in 902, is located in the town square. You can still see the original rempart walls, towers and prison in the ancient town center on the stone roads from the 12th and 13th centuries on Rue des Remparts and Rue des Bichettes. Quarante has had a relatively peaceful history over the centuries, mainly focused on wine and olive production which is still relevant today. Quiet, with very light tourism, the village seduces by its proximity to some of the most beautiful cities of the region, but also by its natural and preserved environment. This area boasts over 300 days of sunshine a year, perfect for the local vineyards and olive groves. The village has a middle school, bakery, butcher, grocery, pizza take-out, bar and restaurant, wine tasting, hair salon, B&B, pharmacy and post office. Map commune FR insee code 34226

Population

See also