The Larzac, also known as the Causse of Larzac (French: ''

Causse The Causses () are a group of limestone plateaus (700–1,200 m) in the Massif Central. They are bordered to the north-west by the Limousin and the Périgord uplands, and to the east by the Aubrac and the Cévennes. Large river gorges cut through ...

du Larzac''), is a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

karst

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

in the south of the

Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...

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 area ...

, situated between Millau (in the département of l'

Aveyron Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitants ...

) and

Lodève Lodève (; oc, Lodeva ) is a commune in the département of Hérault, in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The derivation of the city's name is from Gaulish ''Luteva'', composed of lut-, swamp, ...

(in the département of l'

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.sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...

produce milk for

Roquefort cheese Roquefort is a sheep milk cheese from Southern France, and is one of the world's best known blue cheeses. Though similar cheeses are produced elsewhere, EU law dictates that only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-su ...

. Since the early 2010s, the agricultural production has largely diversified.

Geography

The

communes An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...

of the Larzac are: *

Cornus ''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous trees or shrub ...

* Creissels *

La Cavalerie La Cavalerie (; oc, La Cavalariá) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. During the 1970s it became the focal point of peasant resistance to the proposed extension of the Larzac military training base, just to the north. ...

La Couvertoirade La Couvertoirade (; oc, La Cobertoirada) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. Geography La Couvertoirade is located on the Larzac plateau. History and sites of interest This well-preserved fortified town was owned by t ...

La Roque-Sainte-Marguerite La Roque-Sainte-Marguerite (; oc, La Ròca) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. Lying deep in the scenic Dourbie gorge, the commune absorbed the formerly separate commune of St Verin in 1940, and it also incorporates t ...

L'Hospitalet-du-Larzac L'Hospitalet-du-Larzac (; oc, L'Espitalet de Larzac) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France, part of the southern Massif central, incorporating part of the Larzac plateau. The economy is agricultural, notably dairy produce ...

Le Caylar Le Caylar (; oc, Lo Cailar), also known as ''Le Caylar-en-Larzac'', is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France, in the administrative region of Occitanie. It has the Village étape label since 2013. Geography Le Caylar is s ...

* Le Cros * Les Rives * Millau * Nant * Saint-Félix-de-l'Héras * Saint-Georges-de-Luzençon * Saint-Maurice-Navacelles * Saint-Michel-d'Alajou * Saint-Pierre-de-la-Fage *

Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon (; oc, Senta Aulària de Sarnon) is a commune in the southern French department of Aveyron. At the heart of the historic settlement is the Commandery of Saint Eulalia, a hospital (in the medieval sense of the word) ...

Sorbs Sorbs ( hsb, Serbja, dsb, Serby, german: Sorben; also known as Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs and Wends) are a indigenous West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the parts of Lusatia located in the German states of Saxony and Branden ...

* La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries * Vissec The Larzac is served by junctions 46 to 51 of the

A75 autoroute The A75 is an '' autoroute'' (motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, mo ...

History

In October 1970,

Michel Debré Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (; 15 January 1912 – 2 August 1996) was the first Prime Minister of the French Fifth Republic. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France. He served under President Charles de Gaulle from 195 ...

, then Minister of Defence, decided for strategic purposes to expand a military camp outside the village of La Cavalerie in the department of

, from 30 km² to 170 km², without consulting the local population. Local farmers objected and decided to fight against the project, through actions such as the occupation of empty farms purchased by the Army in anticipation of this expansion. French syndicalist and peasant activist

José Bové Joseph "José" Bové (born 11 June 1953) is a French farmer, politician and syndicalist, member of the alter-globalization movement, and spokesman for Via Campesina. He was one of the twelve official candidates in the 2007 French presidential elec ...

moved there during this period in support of the protests. Communards from the nearby Community of the Ark, led by the pacifist

Lanza del Vasto Lanza del Vasto (born Giuseppe Giovanni Luigi Maria Enrico Lanza di Trabia-Branciforte; 29 September 1901 – 6 January 1981) was an Italian philosopher, poet, artist, Catholic and nonviolent activist. He was born in San Vito dei Normanni, I ...

, were also very active in opposition to the camp. The workers of the occupied and self-managed

LIP The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

factory also took part in the movement. Following ten years of nonviolent resistance, the plan was cancelled by President François Mitterrand after his election in

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

. Because of its history, the Larzac was chosen as the site of a massive meeting against the

WTO The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...

which took place in August 2003.

currently resides in the Larzac area; he secured nearly 500,000 votes in the 2007 presidential election. He became a

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

in 2009.

Sights

Five medieval fortified villages, related to the Knights Templar and the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

are located on the Larzac plateau: *

* Saint-Jean-d'Alcas,Saint-Jean-d'Alcas
/ref> part of the Saint-Jean-et-Saint-Paul

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

Viala-du-Pas-de-Jaux Viala-du-Pas-de-Jaux (; oc, Lo Vialar del Pas de Jòus) is a commune in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aveyron department The following is a list of the 285 Commu ...

References

{{Authority control Plateaus of Metropolitan France Nonviolence Massif Central Landforms of Aveyron Landforms of Hérault