Villages in the wine growing plain
Popian
Popian was the seat of the only Carolingian Steward in the Hérault Valley. He was responsible to the Viscount of Béziers and Agde for his possessions in the hinterland. It also has the oldest château recorded in historical texts, since the foundation of its castrum goes back to 996.
The former château of Popian is sited at the centre of a mound and shows traces of a tower and a staircase leading to the parish church of Saint-Vincent. Protected by a moat at the point where the escarpment was least steep, the château is accessible by means of a two-arched bridge with a guard-rail with supporting posts.
The houses fan out on the steepest slopes to the west and south of the mound. It is still possible to make out the line of the fortifications from feudal times by following the alignment of the houses that stand at the foot of the château on the southern side. In addition, the Place de l’Ormeau was built precisely at that point around a seventeenth-century fountain.
Popian is an extraordinary place in which it is possible to find numerous traces of the medieval period but also of modern and contemporary times. The Tour de l’Horloge (Clock Tower) is an obvious example. This square tower had a portcullis and was one of the main gateways into the village. It was first of all a belfry, with its own bell and was then modernised by having a public clock installed to ring out the rhythms of the life of the village.
A few hundred yards away from the church of Saint-Vincent can be found the remains of the communal oven, which was recently restored. If you make your way towards the Aurelle (the stream that crosses the village), you can still make out the ancient and modern washhouses on either side of the stream; they are relics that are quite unique in the Hérault Valley.
The success of wine-growing in the 19th century played its part in the redevelopment of the site. As witness to this you can find the fine houses of the wine-growers and the large marc distillery that stands facing the château. Popian is a village with a wide range of different aspects.
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The former château of Popian is sited at the centre of a mound and shows traces of a tower and a staircase leading to the parish church of Saint-Vincent. Protected by a moat at the point where the escarpment was least steep, the château is accessible by means of a two-arched bridge with a guard-rail with supporting posts.The houses fan out on the steepest slopes to the west and south of the mound. It is still possible to make out the line of the fortifications from feudal times by following the alignment of the houses that stand at the foot of the château on the southern side. In addition, the Place de l’Ormeau was built precisely at that point around a seventeenth-century fountain.
Popian is an extraordinary place in which it is possible to find numerous traces of the medieval period but also of modern and contemporary times. The Tour de l’Horloge (Clock Tower) is an obvious example. This square tower had a portcullis and was one of the main gateways into the village. It was first of all a belfry, with its own bell and was then modernised by having a public clock installed to ring out the rhythms of the life of the village.
A few hundred yards away from the church of Saint-Vincent can be found the remains of the communal oven, which was recently restored. If you make your way towards the Aurelle (the stream that crosses the village), you can still make out the ancient and modern washhouses on either side of the stream; they are relics that are quite unique in the Hérault Valley.
The success of wine-growing in the 19th century played its part in the redevelopment of the site. As witness to this you can find the fine houses of the wine-growers and the large marc distillery that stands facing the château. Popian is a village with a wide range of different aspects.Previous page
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