The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former

province of France The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until the National Constituent Assembly adopted a more uniform division into departments (''départements'') and districts in late 1789. The provinces continued to exist administratively until ...

. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and fr ...

. It had an area of approximately 42,700 square kilometers (16,490 square miles).

History

The Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis fell to the

Visigothic Kingdom The Visigothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of the Goths ( la, Regnum Gothorum), was a kingdom that occupied what is now southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. One of the Germanic successor states to ...

from the 5th to the 8th centuries. Occupied briefly by the

Emirate of Córdoba The Emirate of Córdoba ( ar, إمارة قرطبة, ) was a medieval Islamic kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. Its founding in the mid-eighth century would mark the beginning of seven hundred years of Muslim rule in what is now Spain and Po ...

between 719 and 759, it was conquered and incorporated into the Kingdom of the Franks by

Pippin the Short the Short (french: Pépin le Bref; – 24 September 768), also called the Younger (german: Pippin der Jüngere), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian to become king. The younger was the son of t ...

in 759 following the Siege of Narbonne. Under the Carolingians, the

counts of Toulouse The count of Toulouse ( oc, comte de Tolosa, french: comte de Toulouse) was the ruler of Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the Frankish kings, the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surroundin ...

were appointed by the royal court. Later, this office became hereditary. Part of the territory where Occitan was spoken came to be called '' langue d'oc'', ''Lengadòc'' or Languedoc. In the 13th century, the spiritual beliefs of the area were challenged by the

See of Rome The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

and the region became attached to the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...

following the Albigensian Crusade (1208–1229). This crusade aimed to put an end to what the Church considered the

Cathar heresy Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. F ...

, and enabled the Capetian dynasty to extend its influence south of the

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhôn ...

. As part of this process, the former principalities of Trencavel (the Viscounty of

Albi Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albigé ...

, Carcassona, Besièrs,

Agde Agde (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in Southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi. Location Agde is located on the Hérault river, from the Mediterranean Sea, and from Paris. The Canal du Midi connec ...

and Nîmes) were integrated into the Royal French Domain in 1224. The County of Toulouse followed them in 1271. The remaining feudal enclaves were absorbed progressively up to the beginning of the 16th century; the County of Gévaudan in 1258, the

County of Melgueil The County of Melgueil ( oc, Melguelh, modern Mauguio) was a fief of first the Carolingian Emperor, then the King of France, and finally (1085) the Papacy during the Middle Ages. Counts probably sat at Melgueil from the time of the Visigoths. The ...

( Mauguiò) in 1293, the

Lordship of Montpellier The following is a list of lords of Montpellier: * William I of Montpellier 26 November 986–1019 * William II of Montpellier 1019–1025 * William III of Montpellier 1025–1058 * William IV of Montpellier 1058–1068 * William V of Montpe ...

in 1349 and the Viscounty of Narbonne in 1507. The territory falling within the jurisdiction of the

Estates of Languedoc The Estates of Languedoc was the provincial assembly for the province of Languedoc during the ancien regime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ...

, which convened for the first time in 1346, shrank progressively, becoming known during the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

as the province of Languedoc. The year 1359 marked a turning point in the history of the province. The three bailiwicks (''sénéchaussées'') of Bèucaire, Carcassona and Tolosa had the status of ''bonnes villes'' (towns granted privileges and protection by the king of France in return for providing a contingent of men at arms). In that year, the three entered into a perpetual union, after which their contribution of royal officers was summoned jointly rather than separately for each of the three sénéchaussées. Towards the end of 14th century, the term "country of the three seneschalties" (''pays des trois sénéchaussées''), later to become known as Languedoc, designated the two bailiwicks of Bèucaire-Nîmes and Carcassona, and the eastern part of Tolosa (Toulouse), retained under the Treaty of Brétigny. At that time, the County of Foix, which belonged to the seneschal of Carcassona until 1333 before passing to Toulouse, ceased to belong to Languedoc. In 1542, the province was divided into two ''

généralité ''Recettes générales'', commonly known as ''généralités'' (), were the administrative divisions of France under the Ancien Régime and are often considered to prefigure the current '' préfectures''. At the time of the French Revolution, ther ...

s'': Toulouse for Haut-Languedoc, and Montpellier for Bas-Languedoc. This lasted until the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

in 1789. From the 17th century onward, there was only one intendance for the whole of Languedoc, with its seat in Montpellier.

Geographical extent

The traditional provinces of the kingdom of France were not formally defined. A province was simply a territory of common traditions and customs, but it had no political organization. Today, when people refer to the old provinces of France, they are referring to the ''gouvernements'' as they existed in 1789, before the

. ''Gouvernements'' were military regions established by the Crown in the middle of the 16th century; their territories closely matched those of the traditional provinces. However, in some cases, small provinces were merged with a large one into a single ''gouvernement'', so ''gouvernements'' are not exactly the same as the traditional provinces. Historically, the region was called the County of Toulouse, a county independent from the kings of France. The County of Toulouse was made up of what would later be called Languedoc, but it also included the province of Quercy (now the ''

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'' of Lot and the northern half of the ' of Tarn-et-Garonne) and the province of Rouergue (now the ' of

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 inhabitan ...

), both to the northwest of Languedoc. At some times it included the province of

Agenais Agenais (), or Agenois (), was an ancient region that became a county ( Old French: ''conté'' or ''cunté'') of France, south of Périgord.Mish, Frederick C., Editor in Chief. "Agenais". '' Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary''. 9th ed. Sp ...

(now the eastern half of the ' of Lot-et-Garonne) to the west of Languedoc, the province of Gévaudan (now ' of Lozère), the province of Velay (now the central and eastern part of the ' of Haute-Loire), the southern part of the province of

Vivarais Vivarais (; oc, Vivarés; la, Vivariensis provincia{{cite web , url=http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/Graesse/orblatv.html , title = ORBIS LATINUS - Letter V) is a traditional region in the south-east of France, covering the ''département'' of ...

(now the southern part of the ' of Ardèche), and even all the northern half of

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bo ...

. After the French conquest the entire county was dismantled, the central part of it being now called Languedoc. The ''gouvernement'' of Languedoc was created in the mid-16th century. In addition to Languedoc proper, it included the three small provinces of Gévaudan, Velay, and

(in its entirety), these three provinces being to the northeast of Languedoc. Some people also consider that the region around

was a traditional province, called Albigeois (now the ' of Tarn), although it is most often considered as being part of Languedoc proper. The provinces of Quercy and Rouergue, despite their old ties with

, were not incorporated into the ''gouvernement'' of Languedoc. They were attached to the ''gouvernement'' of

Guienne Guyenne or Guienne (, ; oc, Guiana ) was an old French province which corresponded roughly to the Roman province of ''Aquitania Secunda'' and the archdiocese of Bordeaux. The name "Guyenne" comes from ''Aguyenne'', a popular transformation of ...

and its far-away capital

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectu ...

. This decision was probably intentional, to avoid reviving the independently spirited County of Toulouse. In the rest of this article, Languedoc refers to the territory of this ''gouvernement'' of Languedoc.

Area and location of Languedoc

The province of Languedoc covered an area of approximately 42,700 km² (16,490 sq. miles) in the central part of southern France, roughly the region between the river Rhône (border with

) and the Garonne (border with Gascony), extending northwards to the Cévennes and 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 ...

(border with Auvergne).

Capital

As the center of the County of Toulouse and the regional ''parlement'',

is often considered the "capital" of Languedoc. On maps (both ancient and modern) showing the provinces (i.e., ''gouvernements'') of France in 1789, it is always marked as such. However, the intricate entanglement of administrations and jurisdictions permitted Montpellier to also claim that distinction. In the 18th century, the monarchy clearly favored Montpellier, a city much smaller than Toulouse, with less history, and with fewer autonomous local authorities such as Toulouse's ''parlement'' and capitoulate.

Old administrative divisions

The governors of Languedoc resided in Pézenas, on the Mediterranean coast, away from

but close to Montpellier. In time they had increased their power well beyond military matters, and had become the real administrators and executive power of the province, a trend seen in the other ''gouvernements'' of France, but particularly acute in Languedoc, where the

duke of Montmorency Duke of Montmorency was a title of French nobility that was created several times for members of the Montmorency family, who were lords of Montmorency, near Paris. History The first creation was in 1551 for Anne de Montmorency, Constable of Fr ...

, governor of Languedoc, even openly rebelled against the king, then was defeated and beheaded in Toulouse in 1632 by the order of Richelieu. The kings of France became fearful of the power of the governors, so after King

Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

(the Sun King) they had to reside in Versailles and were forbidden to enter the territory of their ''gouvernement''. Thus the ''gouvernements'' became hollow structures, but they still carried a sense of the old provinces, and so their names and limits have remained popular until today. For administrative purposes, Languedoc was divided in two ''

s'', the ''généralité'' of Toulouse and the ''généralité'' of Montpellier, the combined territory of the two generalities exactly matching that of the ''gouvernement'' of Languedoc. At the head of a generality was an '' intendant'', but in the case of Languedoc there was only one ''intendant'' responsible for both generalities, and he was often referred to as the ''intendant'' of Languedoc, even though technically speaking he was in fact the ''intendant'' of the generality of Toulouse and ''intendant'' of the generality of Montpellier. The generality of Toulouse is also referred to as Upper Languedoc (''Haut-Languedoc''), while the generality of Montpellier, down to the level of the sea, is referred to as Lower Languedoc (''Bas-Languedoc''). The ''intendants'' of Languedoc resided in Montpellier, and they had a sub-delegate in Toulouse. Montpellier was chosen on purpose to diminish the power of Toulouse, whose '' parlement'' was very influential, and which symbolized the old spirit of independence of the county of Toulouse. The ''intendants'' replaced the governors as administrators of Languedoc, but appointed and dismissed at will by the king, they were no threat to the central state in Versailles. By 1789 they were the most important element of the local administration of the kingdom. For judicial and legislative matters, Languedoc was overseen by the Parliament of Toulouse, founded in the middle of the 15th century. It was the first ''parlement'' created outside of Paris by the kings of France in order to be the equivalent of the ''Parlement'' of Paris in the far-away southern territories of the kingdom. The jurisdiction of the ''Parlement'' of Toulouse included the whole of the territory of the ''gouvernement'' of Languedoc, but it also included the province of Rouergue, most of the province of Quercy, and a part of Gascony. The ''Parlement'' of Toulouse was the supreme court of justice for this vast area of France, the court of last resort whose rulings could not be appealed, not even to the ''Parlement'' of Paris. The ''Parlement'' of Toulouse could also create case law through its decisions, as well as interpret the law. It was also in charge of registering new royal edicts and laws, and could decide to block them if it found them to be in contravention with the liberties and laws of Languedoc. Finally, for purposes of taxation, Languedoc was ruled by the States of Languedoc, whose jurisdiction included only Languedoc proper (and Albigeois), but not Gévaudan, Velay, and

, which kept each their own provincial states until 1789. Languedoc proper was one of the very few provinces of France which had the privilege to decide over tax matters, the kings of France having suppressed the provincial states in most other provinces of the kingdom. This was a special favor from the kings to ensure that an independently spirited region far-away from Versailles would remain faithful to the central state. The States of Languedoc met in many different cities, and for some time they established themselves in Pézenas, but in the 18th century they were relocated definitively to Montpellier, where they met once a year, until 1789. For Christian religious purposes, Languedoc was also divided into a certain number of ecclesiastical provinces, including the

archdiocese of Toulouse The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toulouse (–Saint Bertrand de Comminges–Rieux) ( la, Archidioecesis Tolosana (–Convenarum–Rivensis); French: ''Archidiocèse de Toulouse (–Saint-Bertrand de Comminges–Rieux-Volvestre)''; Occitan: ''A ...

, the

archdiocese of Narbonne The former Catholic diocese of Narbonne existed from early Christian times until the French Revolution. It was an archdiocese, with its see at Narbonne, from the year 445, and its influence ran over much of south-western France and into Catalon ...

, and the

archdiocese of Albi The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Albi (–Castres–Lavaur) (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Albiensis (–Castrensis–Vauriensis)''; French: ''Archidiocèse d'Albi (–Castres–Lavaur)''), usually referred to simply as the Archdiocese of Albi, is a ...

Modern administrative divisions

Between 1956 and 2016, the province of Languedoc was divided between four : * 55.5% of its former territory lay in the , capital city , covering the of , and the extreme-north of , which accounted for 86.5% of the territory of . The remaining 13.5% is (), a province which was never part of historic Languedoc. * 24.8% of its former territory lay in the , capital city , covering the of , as well as the eastern half of , the southeast of , and the northwest and northeast of , which account for 23.4% of the territory of . The remaining 76.6% was made of and (of which was talked above), as well as the province of County of (which had been a vassal of the county of in the Middle Ages), several small provinces of the Pyrenees mountains, and a large part of Gascony. * 13% lay in the , covering the of , which accounted for 12.7% of the territory of . * 6.7% lay in the , covering the central and eastern part of the of , which accounted for 11% of the territory of the modern . In 2016, the French regions were reduced in number, with and merging to form , containing over 80% of historic , and and merging to , with just under a fifth of the historic .

Population and cities

On the traditional territory of the province of Languedoc there live approximately 3,650,000 people (as of 1999 census), 52% of these in the Languedoc-Roussillon ''région'', 35% in the

Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées (; oc, Miègjorn-Pirenèus or ; es, Mediodía-Pirineos) is a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Occitania. It was the largest region of Metropolitan France by a ...

''région'', 8% in the Rhône-Alpes ''région'', and 5% in the Auvergne ''région''. The territory of the former province shows a stark contrast between some densely populated areas (coastal plains as well as metropolitan area of Toulouse in the interior) where density is between 150 inhabitants per km²/390 inh. per sq. mile (coastal plains) and 300 inh. per km²/780 inh. per sq. mile (plain of Toulouse), and the hilly and mountainous interior where density is extremely low, the Cévennes area in the south of Lozère having one of the lowest densities of Europe with only 7.4 inhabitants per km² (19 inh. per sq. mile). The five largest metropolitan areas on the territory of the former province of Languedoc are (as of 1999 census):

(964,797), Montpellier (459,916), Nîmes (221,455), Béziers (124,967), and Alès (89,390). The population of the former province of Languedoc is currently the fastest-growing in France, and also among the fastest-growing in Europe, as an increasing flow of people from northern France and the north of Europe relocating to the sunbelt of Europe, in which Languedoc is located. Growth is particularly strong in the metropolitan areas of

and Montpellier, which are the two fastest growing metropolitan areas in Europe at the moment. However, the interior of Languedoc is still losing inhabitants, which increases the difference of density that was mentioned. Population of the coast of Languedoc as well as the region of Toulouse is rather young, educated, and affluent, whereas in the interior the population tends to be much older, with significantly lower incomes, and with a lower percentage of high school and especially college graduates.

Economy

Agriculture

Languedoc is a significant producer of wine. Today it produces more than a third of the

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

s in France, and is a focus for outside investors. Wines from the Mediterranean coast of Languedoc are labeled as Languedoc, those from the interior have other labels such as Fronton, Gaillac, or Limoux to the west – and Côtes du Rhône towards the east. Other crops include wheat (the traditional crop which made the fortune of the landlords and parliamentarians based in

, and for whose trade the famous Canal du Midi was built),

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...

(the new and nowadays most common crop in the region), olives (only on the Mediterranean coast of Languedoc), fruit, and rice (in some coastal areas). In the hilly and mountainous areas of the interior, sheep and goats are raised for meat and cheese. The coastal area is, naturally, a source of fish and shellfish.

Industry

Aerospace (

Airbus Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: '' ...

, CNES, etc.), electronics ( Freescale, etc.), and bio-tech industries in

; high-tech, electronics, and computer ( IBM) industries in Montpellier; pharmaceutical industry ( Pierre Fabre Group) in Castres. There is also a significant chemical sector in

, which has been quite battered since the terrible explosion of AZF on 21 September 2001. It has been decided that chemical industries would be moved out of

, and a large campus devoted to

cancer research Cancer research is research into cancer to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure. Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate an ...

and bio-tech R&D will be opened on the site. Elsewhere in the region industries are small and in decline, in particular around the formerly mining areas of Alès and Carmaux in the interior of the region.

Services and tourism

Services are the largest sector of the economy in the region. In particular, government services employ a significant part of the workforce, especially in small towns. Key administrations have been relocated to the region, such as France's National Meteorology Office ( Météo-France) relocated from Paris to

in 1982. The area is also a major tourist destination. There exists three types of tourism. First, a massive summer tourism industry on the coast, with huge sea resorts such as Cap d'Agde,

Palavas-les-Flots Palavas-les-Flots (; Languedocien: ''Palavàs'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Geography Palavas is a seaside resort, some six km south of Montpellier, at the Gulf of Lion and the Mediterr ...

, or

Le Grau-du-Roi Le Grau-du-Roi (; oc, Lo Grau dau Rei) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. It is the only commune in Gard to have a frontage on the Mediterranean. To the west is the Herault department and La Grande-Motte village, and to the ...

, built in the 1970s. Tourism related to history and art is also strong, as the region contains the historic cities of Carcassonne, Toulouse, Montpellier, countless Roman monuments (such as the Roman arenas in Nîmes), medieval abbeys, Romanesque churches, and old castles (such as the ruined

Cathar castles Cathar castles (in French ''Châteaux cathares'') are a group of medieval castles located in the Languedoc region. Some had a Cathar connection in that they offered refuge to dispossessed Cathars in the thirteenth century. Many of these sites were ...

in the mountains of Corbières, testimony of the bloody Albigensian Crusade). More recently, "green" and sports tourism is on the rise, with the gorges of the Tarn, the Ardèche Gorges, as well as the vast preserved expanses of Cévennes, Ardèche,

Lauragais The Lauragais () is an area of the south-west of France that is south-east of Toulouse. The Lauragais, a former county in the south-west of France, takes its name from the town of Laurac and has a large area. It covers both sides of the Canal d ...

, and other sites. Tourism on the Canal du Midi combines history (for example viewing the nine locks of Fonseranes near Béziers) with activities such as boating on the Canal, and walking or cycling on the towpaths. Toulouse and Montpellier are also common places for business congresses and conventions. In April 2019, The Guardian's travel section included two Languedoc locations in its list of ''20 of the most beautiful villages in France''. The two were Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert with "one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in the region" and Estaing, whose "narrow streets have hardly changed over the centuries".

Sports

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

is the "national" sport in Languedoc, unlike most other parts of France where football is more popular. The

rugby club (

Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain () ( oc, Estadi Tolosenc), also referred to as Toulouse, is a professional rugby union club based in Toulouse, France. They compete in the Top 14, France's top division of rugby, and the European Rugby Champions Cup. Tou ...

) is one of the most successful in Europe; it regularly competes for the French championship and has won four European titles (1996, 2003, 2005, and 2010) in the ten years of the European championship's existence. Bullfighting and other bull-related events are popular in the eastern part of Languedoc. Sea jousts (''Joutes nautiques'') are held on the coast. Dating from the 11th century, this sport has local leagues and attracts large crowds.

Property

Property in the Languedoc is quite varied and ranges from newly built villas with swimming pools and tennis courts, to old village houses set into the old ramparts of ancient fortified towns. Some of these village houses date back a very long time. A small house in the village of Magalas, Hérault ', has a date of the 13th century carved into its stonework. Being a large area, the type of property available in Languedoc varies a lot, from apartments in beach resorts such as Cap D'Agde to isolated bastides in the rural interior.

Notes

External links

Languedoc-Roussillon Tourist Board
Official Tourism Website for the Region
The Canal du Midi at Béziers
Official Béziers Website
The Languedoc-Roussillon
Official Site of the Région.
The Hérault tourist board website
Department of Hérault in Languedoc Région. All informations to discover Hérault and to book your holidays in Languedoc. Free brochures and lodging.

including regional overview and main tourist attractions.
Atlas historique de la province de Languedoc, de l'époque romaine à nos jours
by Élie Pélaquier, CNRS.
The Languedoc and Roussillon
history, geography, climate, cities, towns and historic monuments. {{Authority control Former provinces of France Wine regions of France