City of Pézenas

Pézenas is a city steeped in history as evidenced by its historic center, a setting for residences from the end of the Middle Ages and numerous private mansions from the 17th and 18th centuries. But the history of the city is much older since the origin of the name Pézenas dates back to the Roman occupation; Pliny the elder already praised the merits of "Piscenae" for the quality of the water in his river, the Peyne.

From 1262, Pézenas asserted itself when it entered the royal domain, the day after the crusade against the Albigenses, as a place of fairs until the middle of the 19th century.

The Montmorençy, Governors of the province of Languedoc, make Pézenas their capital. The Estates General - an itinerant assembly which votes the tax to the king and supervises the administration of the dioceses - frequently meets in Pézenas and attracts a company which builds beautiful mansions and houses in the fields, veritable small castles.

Under the protection of the Prince of Conti, Jean Baptiste Poquelin dit Molière, and his companions from the Illustrious Theater, tied the knot with glory. From 1653 to 1657, Molière and his friends treat the Prince and his friends with pranks. Molière would have found the inspiration of some of them, sitting in the armchair of his friend, the barber Gély, market place in Bled.

From the frequent stays of Molière in Pézenas was born the molière movement of the XIXth century. This will later make Marcel Pagnol say that “if Jean Baptiste Poquelin was born in Paris, Molière was born in Pézenas. ”

Pézenas has been able to evolve, develop its tourist attractions, while preserving its authenticity. In the middle of the 19th century, when Pézenas was at its peak, its distance from the railway line connecting Montpellier to Bordeaux marked the beginning of its decline. It was a blessing in disguise, since this remoteness has enabled the city to preserve an exceptional historical and architectural heritage. Its historic center, and in particular its first enclosure, was one of the first sectors to be safeguarded by the Malraux law in 1965. This has enabled a high-quality restoration of many mansions.