Mèze

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Mèze
Meze port.JPG
Harbour
Blason ville fr Meze (Herault).svg
Location of Mèze
Meze
France location map-Regions and departements-2016.svg
Red pog.svg
Mèze
Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrenees region location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Mèze
Coordinates: 43°25′40″N3°36′21″E / 43.4278°N 3.6058°E / 43.4278; 3.6058
Country France
Region Occitania
Department Hérault
Arrondissement Montpellier
Canton Mèze
Intercommunality CA Sète Agglopôle Méditerranée
Government
  Mayor (20212026) Thierry Baëza [1]
Area
1
34.59 km2 (13.36 sq mi)
Population
 (2021) [2]
12,664
  Density370/km2 (950/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
34157 /34140
Elevation0–75 m (0–246 ft)
(avg. 20 m or 66 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Mèze (French pronunciation: [mɛz] ; Occitan : Mesa; Phoenician : Mansa) is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.

Contents

Its inhabitants are called Mézois.

Geography

Eastern end of the communal area. Etang de Thau, Meze 04.jpg
Eastern end of the communal area.

Situated on the étang de Thau, Mèze shares with Bouzigues its historic role as the oyster capital of the area. Almost a third of its inhabitants depend on the fishing industry for their livelihood. In recent years, tourism and transport have become increasingly central to the local economy.

Map Map commune FR insee code 34157.png
Map

History

An important port since Phoenician times, Mèze has always primarily been a fishing town. During the Roman Empire, the town lay on the main Southern route from Italy to Spain - the 'Via Domitia'. The Romans brought wine to the area and left a legacy of architecture including two of the town's churches. The production of shellfish, especially oysters, has been the mainstay of the Mèze economy for almost a century and the whole Bassin de Thau area has built an international reputation for the quality of its seafood.

Administration

TermMayor of MèzeParty
1807–1815Michel Privat
1815–1817Charles de Borie
1817–1820Pierre Ronzier
1820–1828Louis Charamaule
1828–1840François Bouliech
1840–1848de Borie
1848-1848Santy
1848–1849Hippolyte Bouliech
1849-1849Frédéric de Girard
1849–1850Jules Molinier
1850–1851François Besse
1851-1851Sylla Lacroix
1851–1859Constantin Bouliech
1859–1865Adrien Lonjon
1865–1870Gustave Privat
1870–1874Antonin Bouliech
1874–1876Emile Molinier
1876-1876Jean-Baptiste Allègre
1876–1878Jean-François Besse
1878-1878Benjamin Durand
1878–1880Jean-Baptiste Allègre
1880–1882Emile Beaumadier
1882–1885Jean-Baptiste Allègre
1885-1885Vincent Germain
1885–1887Jean-Baptiste Allègre
1887–1892Guillaume Gros
1892–1901Paulin Arnaud
1901–1904Paul Enteric
1904–1912Baptiste Guitard
1912–1921Paul Enteric
1921–1922Louis Brun
1922–1923Camille Fraisse,
Charles Poujol,
François Vailhe
délégation spéciale
1923–1925Julien Granal
1925–1941Méril Poujade
1941–1944Thomas Bessiere délégation spéciale
1944–1947Henri Bessède
1947–1971André Montet
1971–1977Georges Jean
1977–2001Yves PietrasantaGreens
2001-2001Yvon Pibre
2001-2021Henry FricouGreens/Europe Écologie–The Greens
2021-2026Thierry BaëzaGénération écologie

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 5,005    
1975 5,508+1.38%
1982 5,742+0.60%
1990 6,502+1.57%
1999 7,630+1.79%
2007 10,336+3.87%
2012 10,917+1.10%
2017 11,587+1.20%
Source: INSEE [3]

Sights

Chapelle des Penitents. Meze chapelle des penitents.jpg
Chapelle des Pénitents.
St-Jean-de-la-Garrigue - eglise romane. Meze (Herault), Eglise de Saint-Martin de Caux.jpg
St-Jean-de-la-Garrigue - église romane.

Personalities

Festivals

Traditions

See also

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References

  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 1 February 2022.
  2. "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE