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 w ...

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 France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, 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 inhabitan ...

) and Lodève (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 domesticate ...

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 ...

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

Geography

The communes of the Larzac are: * Cornus * Creissels * La Cavalerie * La Couvertoirade * La Roque-Sainte-Marguerite * L'Hospitalet-du-Larzac * Le Caylar * Le Cros * Les Rives * Millau * Nant *

Saint-Félix-de-l'Héras Saint-Félix-de-l'Héras (Languedocien: ''Sant Feliç de Leraç'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hérault department The following is a list of th ...

* Saint-Georges-de-Luzençon * Saint-Maurice-Navacelles * Saint-Michel-d'Alajou *

Saint-Pierre-de-la-Fage Saint-Pierre-de-la-Fage (; Languedocien: ''Sant Pèire de la Faja'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hérault department The following is a list of ...

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) es ...

* Sorbs *

La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries (; oc, La Vacariá e Sant Martin de Castrias) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hérault department The foll ...

Vissec Vissec (; Languedocien: ''Virsec'') is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. Population See also * Château de Vissec * Vis River *Communes of the Gard department This is a list of the 351 communes of the Gard department of ...

The Larzac is served by junctions 46 to 51 of the A75 autoroute.

History

In October 1970, Michel Debré, 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 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, were also very active in opposition to the camp. The workers of the occupied and self-managed LIP 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. Because of its history, the Larzac was chosen as the site of a massive meeting against the WTO which took place in August 2003. José Bové 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: * La Cavalerie * La Couvertoirade * Saint-Jean-d'Alcas,Saint-Jean-d'Alcas
/ref> part of the

Saint-Jean-et-Saint-Paul Saint-Jean-et-Saint-Paul (; Languedocien: ''Sant Joan e Sant Pau'' or ''Sent Joan e Sent Paul'') is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aveyron department The following is a list o ...

commune *

* Viala-du-Pas-de-Jaux

References

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