Mèze
Mèze | |
|---|---|
 Harbour | |
.svg?lang=en) Coat of arms | |
Location of Mèze  | |
  Mèze  Mèze | |
| Coordinates: 43°25′40″N 3°36′21″E / 43.4278°N 3.6058°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Occitania |
| Department | Hérault |
| Arrondissement | Montpellier |
| Canton | Mèze |
| Intercommunality | CA Sète Agglopôle Méditerranée |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2021–2026) | Thierry Baëza[1] |
Area 1 | 34.59 km2 (13.36 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 12,711 |
| • Density | 367.5/km2 (951.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 34157 /34140 |
| Elevation | 0–75 m (0–246 ft) (avg. 20 m or 66 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Mèze (French pronunciation: [mɛz]; Occitan: Mesa; Phoenician: Mansa) is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.
Its inhabitants are called Mézois.
Geography
[edit]
Situated on the étang de Thau, Mèze shares with Bouzigues its historic role as the oyster capital of the area. Almost a third of its inhabitants depend on the fishing industry for their livelihood. In recent years, tourism and transport have become increasingly central to the local economy.
History
[edit]An important port since Phoenician times, Mèze has always primarily been a fishing town. During the Roman Empire, the town lay on the main Southern route from Italy to Spain - the 'Via Domitia'. The Romans brought wine to the area and left a legacy of architecture including two of the town's churches. The production of shellfish, especially oysters, has been the mainstay of the Mèze economy for almost a century and the whole Bassin de Thau area has built an international reputation for the quality of its seafood.
Administration
[edit]| Term | Mayor of Mèze | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 1807–1815 | Michel Privat | |
| 1815–1817 | Charles de Borie | |
| 1817–1820 | Pierre Ronzier | |
| 1820–1828 | Louis Charamaule | |
| 1828–1840 | François Bouliech | |
| 1840–1848 | de Borie | |
| 1848-1848 | Santy | |
| 1848–1849 | Hippolyte Bouliech | |
| 1849-1849 | Frédéric de Girard | |
| 1849–1850 | Jules Molinier | |
| 1850–1851 | François Besse | |
| 1851-1851 | Sylla Lacroix | |
| 1851–1859 | Constantin Bouliech | |
| 1859–1865 | Adrien Lonjon | |
| 1865–1870 | Gustave Privat | |
| 1870–1874 | Antonin Bouliech | |
| 1874–1876 | Emile Molinier | |
| 1876-1876 | Jean-Baptiste Allègre | |
| 1876–1878 | Jean-François Besse | |
| 1878-1878 | Benjamin Durand | |
| 1878–1880 | Jean-Baptiste Allègre | |
| 1880–1882 | Emile Beaumadier | |
| 1882–1885 | Jean-Baptiste Allègre | |
| 1885-1885 | Vincent Germain | |
| 1885–1887 | Jean-Baptiste Allègre | |
| 1887–1892 | Guillaume Gros | |
| 1892–1901 | Paulin Arnaud | |
| 1901–1904 | Paul Enteric | |
| 1904–1912 | Baptiste Guitard | |
| 1912–1921 | Paul Enteric | |
| 1921–1922 | Louis Brun | |
| 1922–1923 | Camille Fraisse, Charles Poujol, François Vailhe |
délégation spéciale |
| 1923–1925 | Julien Granal | |
| 1925–1941 | Méril Poujade | |
| 1941–1944 | Thomas Bessiere | délégation spéciale |
| 1944–1947 | Henri Bessède | |
| 1947–1971 | André Montet | |
| 1971–1977 | Georges Jean | |
| 1977–2001 | Yves Pietrasanta | Greens |
| 2001-2001 | Yvon Pibre | |
| 2001-2021 | Henry Fricou | Greens/Europe Écologie–The Greens |
| 2021-2026 | Thierry Baëza | Génération écologie |
Population
[edit]| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 5,005 | — |
| 1975 | 5,508 | +1.38% |
| 1982 | 5,742 | +0.60% |
| 1990 | 6,502 | +1.57% |
| 1999 | 7,630 | +1.79% |
| 2007 | 10,336 | +3.87% |
| 2012 | 10,917 | +1.10% |
| 2017 | 11,587 | +1.20% |
| Source: INSEE[3] | ||
Sights
[edit]
,_%C3%89glise_de_Saint-Martin_de_Caux.jpg?lang=en)
- Old village center
- Port Mèze: both a working fishing harbor and a port for recreational boating.
- Lagunage ecological site
- Dinosaur Plain' palenthology museum.
- Eglise Saint Hilaire
- La Chapelle des Pénitents (12th century)
- Le château de Girard (end of 17th century)
- Remains of city walls
- St-Jean-de-la-Garrigue, former parish church, built in romanesque style.
Personalities
[edit]- The French Arabist and historian André Miquel was born in Mèze.
- Singer Pierre Vassiliu lived for many years in Mèze.
- Singer Christian Delagrange lives in Mèze.
Festivals
[edit]- Music Festival de Thau (annual),
- A festival of traditional Boat Jousting is held each summer.
Traditions
[edit]- The legendary bœuf de Mèze has become the animal symbol of the town.
- The Balle au tambourin ball game.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 1 February 2022.
- ^ "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
External links
[edit]
- (in French) [1] Website of panoramic photos of Mèze and its region
- (in French) Official site
- (in French) Festival of Thau
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