Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
Gellone monastery
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
Administration
Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon
Department	Hérault
Arrondissement	Lodève
Canton	Aniane
Mayor	Jacques Andrieux (2001–2008)
Statistics
Elevation	54–812 m (177–2,664 ft) (avg. 89 m/292 ft)
Land area1	38.64 km2 (14.92 sq mi)
Population2	245  (1999)
- Density	6 /km2 (16 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	34261/ 34150
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 43°44′05″N 3°33′02″E / 43.7347222222°N 3.55055555556°E / 43.7347222222; 3.55055555556

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (in Occitan Sant Guilhèm dau Desèrt) is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.

Situated in the narrow valley of the Gellone river where it meets the steep sided gorge of the Hérault River, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is essentially a mediaeval village located on the Chemin de St Jacques (St James' Way) pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostella.

History

The village has maintained its historic state. Because of its isolation, in 806 Saint Guilhem established here the monastery of Gellone.

Miscellaneous

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France ("The most beautiful villages of France"), and the Abbey of Gellone, along with the nearby Pont du Diable were designated UNESCO World Heritages sites in 1999.^[1]

A part of the cloister of the monastery was moved to The Cloisters museum of Manhattan.

A new sculpture museum, containing stone works from the abbey, is to be dedicated on June 26, 2009. In coordination with this event, a weekend of music and a colloquium, organized in large part by the Camerata Mediterranea, are planned for June 26 and June 27.

See also

• Communes of the Hérault department

References

• INSEE commune file

1. ^ Unesco: Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/868/multiple=1&unique_number=1019

External links

• Official site (French)
• Camerata Mediterranea and June, 2009 colloquium

Gallery

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  Cloister of the monastery

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