Béziers
From Wikipedia
Béziers (Besièrs in Occitan) is a city in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. It is a commune and a sous-préfecture in the Hérault départment, with a population around 70,000, called Biterrois. Occitan, or langue doc is a Romance language characterized by its richness, variability, and by the intelligibility of its dialects. ... Coat of arms of the province of Languedoc, now being used as an official flag by the Midi-Pyrénees region as well as by the city of Toulouse Languedoc (Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... The commune is an administrative division of France. ... Subprefecture is an administrative level that is below prefecture or province. ... Hérault is a département in the southwest of France named after the Hérault River. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas régions. ...
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Geography
The city is located on a small bluff above the river Orb, about 10km from the Mediterranean Sea. At Béziers the Canal du Midi spans the river Orb as an aqueduct called the pont-canal ('bridge-canal').-1... Canal du Midi, Toulouse The Canal du Midi is a 240km long canal in southern France, linking the Garonne River to the Mediterranean Sea, between Toulouse and the Mediterranean port of Sète, which was created for the canal. ... This article is about the structure aqueduct, for the racecourse see Aqueduct Racetrack. ...
History
The site has been occupied since Neolithic times, before the influx of Celts. Roman Betarra was on the road that linked Provence with Iberia. The Romans refounded the city as a new colonia for veterans in 36/35 BCE and called it Colonia Julia Baeterrae Septimanorum. Stones from the Roman amphitheatre were used to construct the city wall during the 3rd century. The Neolithic, (Greek neos=new, lithos=stone, or New Stone Age) is traditionally the last part of the stone age. ... This article is about the European people. ... A Roman road in Pompeii The Romans, as a military, commercial and political expedient, became adept at constructing roads; many long sections of them are ruler-straight, but it should not be thought that all of them were. ... Provence is a former province and is now a region of southeastern France, located on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to Frances border with Italy. ... Iberia can mean: The Iberian peninsula of southwest Europe; That part of it inhabited by the Iberians, speaking the Iberian language. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 41 BC 40 BC 39 BC 38 BC 37 BC 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 40 BC 39 BC 38 BC 37 BC 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC... The name amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is given to a public building of the Classical period (being particularly associated with ancient Rome) which was used for spectator sports, games and displays. ... The defensive wall of Braşov, Romania. ...
White wine was exported to Rome; two dolia discovered in an excavation near Rome are marked, one "I am a wine from Baeterrae and I am five years old," the other simply "white wine of Baeterrae" The Roman Colosseum Rome (Italian and Latin Roma) is the capital city of Italy, and of its Lazio region. ...
During the 10th through 12th centuries Béziers was the center of a viscounty. The viscounts ruled most of the coastal plain around the city, including also the city of Agde. They also controlled the major east-west route through Languedoc, roughly following the old Roman Via Domitia, with the two key bridges over the Orb at Béziers and over the Hérault at Saint-Thibéry. Agde is a commune of the Hérault département, in southern France. ...
The Via Domitia was the first Roman road built in Gaul, which is in modern day France. ...
After the death of viscount William around 990, the viscounty passed to his daughter Garsendis and her husband, count Raimond-Roger of Carcassonne (d. ~1012). It was then ruled by their son Peter-Raimond (d. ~1060) and his son Roger (d. 1067), both of whom were also count of Carcassonne. Events Construction of the Al-Hakim Mosque begins in Cairo. ...
For other uses of the name Carcassonne, see Carcassonne (disambiguation). ...
Roger died without children, and Béziers passed to his sister Ermengard and her husband Raimond-Bertrand Trencavel. The Trencavels were to rule for the next 142 years, until the coming of the Albigensian Crusade. The Trencavel were an important noble family in Languedoc (in the southwest of modern-day France) during the 10th through 13th centuries. ...
The Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) was a 20-year military effort initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to crush the heretical sect of the Cathars in southern France. ...
Beziers was a Languedoc stronghold of the Cathars, whom Catholics determined were heretics and whom they exterminated in the Albigensian crusade. Béziers was the first city to be sacked, on July 22, 1209, burning the cathedral of Saint Nazaire, which collapsed on the terrified inhabitants who had taken refuge inside. Béziers was then destroyed and all its remaining inhabitants killed. A few parts of the Romanesque cathedral St-Nazaire survived, and it was restored, along with the rest of the city, during the 13th through 15th centuries. Cathars being expelled from Carcassone in 1209. ...
July 22 is the 203rd day (204th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 162 days remaining. ...
Events Albigensian Crusade against Cathars (1209-1218) the Franciscans are founded. ...
Romanesque St. ...
See also: Septimania Septimania was the name of the western region of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis that passed under the control of the Visigothic kingdom in 462, when Septimania was ceded to Theodoric II, king of the Visigoths. ...
Economy
Today Béziers is a principal center of the Languedoc viticulture and winemaking industries. Viticulture (from the Latin word for vine) refers to the cultivation of grapes, often for use in the production of wine. ...
Transportation
The A75 autoroute passes trhough Béziers. The A75 is an autoroute (France. ...
Miscellaneous
Modern Béziers fields a rugby union team (AS Béziers) with twelve championships to their credit. A Rugby match in the Stade de France Rugby union is a team sport that was (according to legend) developed from the rules used to play football at Rugby School in England. ...
The Béziers Feria offers five days of festivity in the summer.
Births
Béziers was the birthplace of:
- Pierre Paul Riquet (1609 or 1604-1680), engineer and canal-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi
- Paul Pellisson (1624-1693), author
- Jean Barbeyrac (1674?-1744), jurist
- Jean Antoine Ernest Constans (1833-1913), statesman
- Jean Moulin (1899-1943), a hero of the French Resistance in World War II
- Edgar Faure (1908-1988), French statesman
Pierre Paul Riquet (June 29, 1609 (some sources say 1604) - October 4, 1680) was the engineer and canal-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi during the latter half of the 17th century. ... Events April 4 – King of Spain signs an edit of expulsion of all moriscos from Spain April 9 – Spain recognizes Dutch independence May 23 - Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia. ... Events January 14 – Hampton Court conference with James I of England, the Anglican bishops and representatives of Puritans September 20 - Capture of Ostend by Spanish forces under Ambrosio Spinola after a three year siege. ... Events First Portuguese governor was appointed to Macau The Swedish city Karlskrona was founded as the Royal Swedish Navy relocated there. ... An engineer may be someone who practices the engineering profession, or the driver of a rail locomotive. ... Categories: Water-transport stubs | Canals | Water transport ... Canal du Midi, Toulouse The Canal du Midi is a 240km long canal in southern France, linking the Garonne River to the Mediterranean Sea, between Toulouse and the Mediterranean port of Sète, which was created for the canal. ... Paul Pellisson (October 30, 1624 - February 7, 1693) was a French author. ... Events The Netherlands establish a trading colony at Kaohsiung on Taiwan. ... Events January 11 - Eruption of Mt. ... Jean Barbeyrac (March 15, 1674 ? March 3, 1744) was a French jurist. ... Events February 19 - England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster. ... Events The third French and Indian War, known as King Georges War, breaks out at Port Royal, Nova Scotia Ongoing events War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) Births May 19 - Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen-Consort of King George III of Great Britain July 17 -Elbridge Gerry, American... A jurist is a professional who studies, develops, applies or otherwise deals with the law. ... Jean Antoine Ernest Constans (1833 - 1913), French statesman, was born at Béziers. ... Events January 3, Britain seizes control of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. ... 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The term statesman is a respectful term used to refer to diplomats, politicians, and other notable figures of state. ... Jean Moulin (June 20, 1899–July 8, 1943) was a member of the French Resistance during World War II. Before the War Jean Moulin was born in Béziers, France, and enrolled in the French Army in 1918, but World War I came to an end before he could see any... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... The French Resistance is the name used for resistance movements that fought military occupation of France by Nazi Germany and the resulting Vichy France during World War II after France surrendered in 1940. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Edgar Faure, French statesman Edgar Faure (August 18, 1908 - March 30, 1988) was a French statesman. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Twin towns
The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish and Galician: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. ... Categories: Germany-related stubs | Cities in Germany | Towns in Baden-Württemberg ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... Stavropol (Ста́врополь) is a city located in southwestern Russia. ... The Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ... Stockport is a metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, in North West England. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...
External link
- Official website city of Beziers. (http://www.ville-beziers.fr/)
