Clermont-l'Hérault (French pronunciation: [klɛʁmɔ̃ leʁo]; Occitan: Clarmont d'Erau) is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.

Clermont-l'Hérault
View of Clermont-l'Hérault's City centre
View of Clermont-l'Hérault's City centre
Coat of arms of Clermont-l'Hérault
Location of Clermont-l'Hérault
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Clermont-l'Hérault is located in France
Clermont-l'Hérault
Clermont-l'Hérault
Clermont-l'Hérault is located in Occitanie
Clermont-l'Hérault
Clermont-l'Hérault
Coordinates: 43°37′41″N 3°25′59″E / 43.6281°N 3.4331°E / 43.6281; 3.4331
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentHérault
ArrondissementLodève
CantonClermont-l'Hérault
IntercommunalityClermontais
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Gérard Bessière[1]
Area
1
32.49 km2 (12.54 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
9,269
 • Density290/km2 (740/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
34079 /34800
Elevation40–322 m (131–1,056 ft)
(avg. 92 m or 302 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

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Map

Chief town of the Canton, Clermont-l'Hérault is located about 40 km west of Montpellier, halfway between the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Cévennes National Park to the north.

Hydrography

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La Lergue, Le Salagou, Ruisseau des Servières are the main rivers that cross the town.

Climate

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The city enjoys a Mediterranean climate. The winter is mild, despite occasional frosts. Summer is hot. In autumn, Mediterranean episodes occur bringing intense and heavy rainfall.

History

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The site of Clermont-l'Hérault has been inhabited since Protohistory: during the Iron Age (6th century BC), Clermont constitutes one of the main Oppida of the Celtic Mediterranean.

Recent archaeological excavations have demonstrated its importance during antiquity (INRAP, 2000s). There was then a main agglomeration of five to six hectares and a peripheral inhabited area of 12 hectares. The remains of a thermal establishment have been uncovered.

The town was several times taken and retaken in the religious wars of the 16th century.[3] The city was formerly known as Clermont-Lodève. The manufacture of sheets was established at nearby Villeneuvette, or rather relaunched in 1667 by Colbert to develop the cloth industry in France, taking advantage of the waters of the Dourbie.

 
Château des Guilhem
 
Collégiale Saint-Paul de Clermont-l'Hérault
 
Julian calendar. Leudaire of the jurisdiction of Clermont

Politics and administration

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Election Mayor Party Occupation
1971 Marcel Vidal PS Winemaker
Member of the Senate for Hérault
1977
1983
1989
1995
2001 Alain Cazorla PS
2008
2014 Salvador Ruiz DVG Teacher

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 4,888—    
1800 5,224+0.95%
1806 5,694+1.45%
1821 5,837+0.17%
1831 6,199+0.60%
1836 6,582+1.21%
1841 6,294−0.89%
1846 6,134−0.51%
1851 6,180+0.15%
1856 6,232+0.17%
1861 6,405+0.55%
1866 6,050−1.13%
1872 5,870−0.50%
1876 5,964+0.40%
1881 5,450−1.79%
1886 5,191−0.97%
1891 5,079−0.44%
1896 5,083+0.02%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 5,280+0.76%
1906 5,140−0.54%
1911 5,177+0.14%
1921 5,381+0.39%
1926 5,616+0.86%
1931 5,657+0.15%
1936 5,426−0.83%
1946 5,195−0.43%
1954 5,314+0.28%
1962 5,538+0.52%
1968 6,209+1.92%
1975 5,482−1.76%
1982 5,926+1.12%
1990 6,041+0.24%
1999 6,532+0.87%
2007 7,305+1.41%
2012 8,221+2.39%
2017 8,852+1.49%
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968-2017)[5]

Sights

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The town is built on the slope of a hill ("Pioch Castel") which is crowned by an ancient castle (Château des Guilhem) and skirted by the Rhonel, a tributary of the Lergue.[3] It has a southern Gothic style chapel "Les Pénitents" (The Penitents) that has been recently restored. It is now a cultural centre. Also of interest is Saint Paul's church, begun in the 12th century, and finished in the 14th century.

Close by is the large man-made Lac du Salagou.

International relations

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Clermont-l'Hérault is twinned with:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Chisholm 1911.
  4. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Clermont-l'Hérault, EHESS (in French).
  5. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
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