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Minerve (French pronunciation: [minɛʁv] (listen); Occitan: Menèrba) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is the namesake of the Minervois wine region.

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Minerve
Commune
The bridge at Minerve
Coat of arms
Location of Minerve
Minerve Show map of France Minerve Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 43°21′17″N 2°44′50″E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Hérault
Arrondissement	Béziers
Canton	Saint-Pons-de-Thomières
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Didier Vordy[1]
Area 1	27.89 km2 (10.77 sq mi)
Population  (Jan. 2019)[2]	103
• Density	3.7/km2 (9.6/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	34158 /34210
Elevation	137–604 m (449–1,982 ft) (avg. 227 m or 745 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

In 1210 a group of Cathars sought refuge in the village after the massacre at Béziers during the Albigensian Crusade. The village was besieged by Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester. The attacking army besieged the village for six weeks before it surrendered. Four catapults or trebuchets were set up around the ramparts, three to attack the village itself and the largest, known as Malvoisine or "bad neighbour", to destroy the town's well. With the town's only water supply cut off, the Commander of the 200-strong garrison, Viscount Guilhem of Minerve, gave in and negotiated a surrender in order to have the villagers and himself spared from death. However, 140 Cathars refused to give up their faith and convert, being burned to death at the stake on 22 July.

Geography

The village is situated on top of the gorge of the River Cesse in a naturally strong defensive position. Near the village the river disappears underground in a large, naturally carved tunnel.

Pictures

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Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1793 250 —     1800 226 −9.6% 1806 285 +26.1% 1821 276 −3.2% 1831 309 +12.0% 1836 357 +15.5% 1841 395 +10.6% 1846 403 +2.0% 1851 403 +0.0% 1856 386 −4.2% 1861 350 −9.3% 1866 326 −6.9% 1872 289 −11.3% 1876 266 −8.0% 1881 265 −0.4% 1886 246 −7.2% 1891 261 +6.1%

Year Pop. ±% 1896 240 −8.0% 1901 240 +0.0% 1906 225 −6.2% 1911 235 +4.4% 1921 240 +2.1% 1926 204 −15.0% 1931 213 +4.4% 1936 217 +1.9% 1946 189 −12.9% 1954 166 −12.2% 1962 138 −16.9% 1968 125 −9.4% 1975 106 −15.2% 1982 112 +5.7% 1990 104 −7.1% 1999 111 +6.7% 2008 122 +9.9%

Miscellaneous

Minerve has been selected as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ("The Most Beautiful Villages Of France"). Historically, the village has been the capital of the Minervois wine region. The main bridge leading into the village is closed to all passenger vehicles not owned by residents of Minerve. Of all of the original fortifications, only a slender octagonal tower, known locally as the Candela, survives.

See also

• Minervois AOC
• Communes of the Hérault department

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Minerve.

• LanguedocFrance.com description of Minerve

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