Mèze (; oc, Mesa; phn, Mansa) is a

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 ...

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 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 ...

. Its inhabitants are called ''Mézois''.

Geography

Situated on 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- ...

, Mèze shares with

Bouzigues Bouzigues (; ''Bosigas'' in Occitan) is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hérault department *Étang de Thau The Étang de Thau (; oc, Estanh de Taur) or Bassin de Thau is the ...

its historic role as the

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not al ...

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. Map commune FR insee code 34157

History

An important port since

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

n times, Mèze has always primarily been a fishing town. During the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

, the town lay on the main Southern route from Italy to Spain - the '

Via Domitia The Via Domitia was the first Roman road built in Gaul, to link Italy and Hispania through Gallia Narbonensis, across what is now Southern France. The route that the Romans regularised and paved was ancient when they set out to survey it, and tr ...

'. 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

Population

Sights

* Old village center * Port Mèze: both a working fishing harbor and a port for recreational boating. * ''Lagunage'' ecological site * ''

Dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

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

* The French

Arabist An Arabist is someone, often but not always from outside the Arab world, who specialises in the study of the Arabic language and culture (usually including Arabic literature). Origins Arabists began in medieval Muslim Spain, which lay on the ...

and historian

André Miquel André Miquel (26 September 1929 – 27 December 2022) was a French Arabist and historian, specialist of Arabic literature and Arabic language. Biography André Miquel was born in Mèze, Hérault on 26 September 1929. He studied literature. ...

was born in Mèze. * Singer

Pierre Vassiliu Pierre Vassiliu (23 October 1937 – 17 August 2014) was a French singer, songwriter and actor. His first record, "Armand", co-written with his brother Michel, appeared in 1962. It was an enormous success, selling 150,000 copies. This opened the ...

lived for many years in Mèze. * Singer

Christian Delagrange Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

lives in Mèze.

Festivals

* Music Festival ''de Thau'' (annual), * A festival of traditional ''Boat Jousting'' is held each summer.

Traditions

*The legendary ''bœuf de Mèze'' has become the animal symbol of the town. *The ''Balle au tambourin'' ball game.