Montagnac, Hérault

Montagnac
Mairie de Montagnac
Montagnac
Administration
Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon
Department	Hérault
Arrondissement	Béziers
Canton	Montagnac
Intercommunality	Communauté d'Agglomération Hérault Méditerranée
Mayor	Roger Fages (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	8–172 m (26–564 ft)
Land area1	39.81 km2 (15.37 sq mi)
Population2	3,517  (2006)
- Density	88 /km2 (230 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	34162/ 34530
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°28′55″N 3°29′02″E / 43.4819444444°N 3.48388888889°E / 43.4819444444; 3.48388888889

Montagnac is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Its inhabitants are called Montagnacois.

History

• The Saint-Martin Chapel was mentioned in 847.
• Protestant population: the town was devastated during the French Wars of Religion.
• The feudal castle, Château de Lavagnac, was dismantled in the 17th century on the orders of Richelieu and remodelled in accordance with the tastes of the day. It is currently the subject of an enormous tourism project which is opposed by a minority of the local population.

Demography

Historical population of Montagnac, Hérault
(Source : INSEE^[1])

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
2958	3021	2774	2897	2953	2981	3517
From the year 1962 on: population without double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.

Twin town

Montagnac is twinned with Nerpio in Spain.

Personalities linked to the commune

• Jean Henri Latude, French prisoner, famous for his escapes
• Paula Delsol, novelist and film director.
• Charles Camichel (1871–1966) physician born in Montagnac.

Sites and monuments

• Église Saint-André* 12th/14th century : steeple, open tower, doorway with arching and colonnettes, machicolated porch, choir with seven stretches of vaulted wall, 15th century stone bas-relief of Christ, 16th century wooden statue of St Peter, painting of the Holy Family by Bestieu from 1830, four caryatids from 1750 and 1759, wooden Virgin from 1780, 18th century pulpit, an 18th century main altar; eleven 17th century stalls, bell from 1492

Église Saint-André

• Chapelle Saint-Martin de la Garrigue 12th century : blind arcades, half domed apse.
• Chapelle des pénitents 18th century.
• Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Peyrière 19th century.
• Hôtel de Rat.

Hôtel de Rat

• Hôtel de Pegat.

Hôtel de Pegat

See also

• Communes of the Hérault department

References

1. ^ Montagnac sur le site de l'Insee

External links

• Official site of the town of Montagnac
• Base de Loisirs de Bessilles at Montagnac (decouverte34.com)
• Fiche Station Verte de Montagnac
• Montagnac on the site of the Institut géographique national