Lodève
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Coordinates: 43°43′57″N 3°19′13″E / 43.7325°N 3.32027777778°E
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Commune of Lodève |
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| Location | |
  Lodève
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| Department | Hérault |
| Arrondissement | Lodève |
| Canton | Lodève |
| Intercommunality | Lodévois |
| Mayor | Marie-Christine Bousquet (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 117–700 m (380–2,300 ft) (avg. 165 m/540 ft) |
| Land area1 | 23.17 km2 (8.95 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 7,334 (2006) |
| - Density | 317 /km2 (820 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 34142/ 34700 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Lodève (Occitan: Lodeva) is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
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[edit] Geography
Lodève lies where the plains rise up to the Larzac plateau, 54 km (34 mi) from Montpellier, in the valley of the Lergue river. It is surrounded by green hills and vineyards and lies only 8 km (5.0 mi) from the large man-made Lac du Salagou.
[edit] History
Lodève started as the capital of a Volque tribe (the Lutevani) before becoming the Roman city Luteva (also known as Forum Neronis). The town was a stopping point on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela via the Arles road. An episcopal city until the French Revolution, it was also a centre for textile production under Louis XV and was home to one of only two royal manufactories for tapestry, the other being the one of the Gobelins in Paris.
More recently, the area was the centre of a firm resistance against the Nazi occupation during the Second World War.
[edit] Sights
- Lodève Cathedral Cathédrale Saint-Fulcran de Lodève), parts of which date from the sixth century.
- Museum Fleury (temporary art exhibitions (mainly paintings) and archeology permanent collection).
- Halle Dardé, dedicated to local sculptor Paul Dardé.
- L'Atelier national du tapis de Lodève, the French state carpet-making workshop (visits arranged by Tourist Office, Lodève).
In the vicinity:
- Cave: Grotte de Labeil.
- Priory St Michel de Grandmont and its dolmen.
- Lerab Ling: Buddhist Temple in traditional Tibetan form.
[edit] Culture
Throughout the year, the town hosts a varied programme of festivities and events both cultural and athletic, as well as all sorts of markets which are always well worth a visit. In recent years, the Museum Art Gallery has gained national acclaim for its major art exhibitions.
The "Voix de la Méditerranée" poetry festival, established in 1998 takes place every July for around 10 days. Poets, musicians and writers come from many different countries on the Mediterranean to share their culture through poetry readings, concerts and other cultural events. This is considered a very special festival for poetry and is enjoyable for all.
One of the events that happens is the "Fête de St. Fulcran", the patron saint of the town. It happens every year for a week in May. For a week there is a carnival and other events.
[edit] Demographics
Lodève has a fairly large Algerian (see pied noir, harki) population, the first generation of which fought for the French and were housed here after the Algerian Civil War.
[edit] Transportation
The town lies on the A75 autoroute about 30 minutes south of the new Millau viaduct, the highest bridge in the world.
[edit] Miscellaneous
Lodève was the birthplace of:
- André-Hercule de Fleury (1653-1743) a cardinal who served as the chief minister of Louis XV
- Georges Auric (1899-1983), composer
- Paul Dardé (1888-1963), sculptor.
- Joseph Vallot, Alpinist the middleschool and the highschool are name after this alpinist who installed an observatory in the Alpes.
The town houses a famous carpet-manufacturing company, part of the national Savonnerie, which once supplied large, exquisite carpets to the French royal family, and still today produces hand made carpets for State buildings.
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
- GigaCatholic
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lodève |
Voix de la Méditerranée website (French)]
