Soubès (; oc, Sobès) is a
commune in the
Hérault 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
Occitanie Occitanie may refer to:
*Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French
*Occitania (administrative region)
Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occità nia ; ca, Occità nia ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...
in southern
France, situated on a hill near the confluence of the Brèze and Suberbet rivers.
The village dates from the 12th Century, and even today only one main street, the ''Coural'', is suitable for motor traffic. The ancient city walls are visible in many places. The village has two ''châteaux'', a church, two schools, a ''
Mairie'', a café (Café du Terral), a small
post office and a
general store. A modern
[Built in 1979 on the initiative of Maire Lassalle. ] sports and social centre lies just outside the village proper, the other side of the D25 road to
Ganges.
Economy
Until very recent times the village was surrounded by vineyards, and
viticulture was the primary economic activity. Stocks of the widely grown
Carignan
Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterra ...
red grape variety are very sturdy, and the characteristic vineyards of the region therefore have no
trellis
Trellis may refer to:
Structures
* Trellis (architecture), an architectural structure often used to support plants (especially vineyards)
* Trellis drainage pattern, a drainage system
Technology
* Trellis (graph), a special kind of graph used ...
es. Soubès never had its own wine-making facility, however, and
vignerons are obliged to take their grapes to the ''
Cave Coopérative'' either in
Lodève or
Pégairolles-de-l'Escalette
Pégairolles-de-l'Escalette (; Languedocien: ''Pegairòlas de l'Escaleta'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is at the foot of the Larzac plateau.
Administration
Population
Sights
* '' ...
.
Overproduction of the local table wine has forced a decline in viticulture recently, and the production of other fruit such as
peaches and
apricot
An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''.
Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...
s has partly replaced the wine-based economy.
Festival
Like all villages of the region, Soubès takes pride in its annual ''
fête
In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments.
Village fêtes
Village fà ...
'', which is held the weekend following the first Monday in August.
Traditional festive events include dances every night,
pétanque and belotte tournaments, and a very popular game of
loto. Sometimes yearling bulls are run through the Coural in an ''abrivado'', a very tamed-down version of the
Pamplonada.
In the month of August the population doubles and redoubles as summer visitors (''estivants'') arrive to enjoy the hot climate and peaceful atmosphere.
Administration
Population
See also
Official web site*
Communes of the Hérault department
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soubes
Communes of Hérault