Pézenas is one of the most remarkable towns in the Hérault. Once the capital of the Estates of Languedoc, it welcomed Molière between 1650 and 1657. Its grand 17th-century mansions, medieval streets and many arts and crafts galleries make it an essential cultural destination, 30 km from La Bergerie du Mas Delon.
For two centuries Pézenas was the capital of the Estates of Languedoc, which brought it a period of intense prosperity in the 17th century. Lords and wealthy merchants built magnificent private mansions here, many of which still stand in the old town today. The town has preserved a remarkably homogeneous classical Languedoc architecture.
It was in this atmosphere of intense cultural life that Molière stayed in Pézenas several times between 1650 and 1657. The town has honoured him by weaving the places he frequented into its visitor trail. Today, Pézenas is also known for its arts and crafts and its galleries.
📷 Krzysztof Golik — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Half a day is enough to see the essentials of Pézenas — a full day if you like browsing the shops.
The historic heart of Pézenas is best explored on foot, along pedestrian streets lined with 16th- and 17th-century mansions. The sculpted façades, inner courtyards and architectural details tell the story of the former Languedoc capital.
The barber Gély's house on Place Gambetta is the most symbolic site of Molière's legacy in Pézenas. It was there that Molière came to have his hair dressed and to read his texts to a local audience. The Molière trail links the places associated with the playwright.
Pézenas is home to one of the best-preserved medieval Jewish quarters in the Languedoc. Its narrow lanes and arcaded houses bear witness to the significant Jewish community that lived in the town in the Middle Ages.
The Pézenas market, every Saturday morning, is one of the liveliest and most colourful in the Hérault. Local produce, cheeses, Languedoc wines, textiles and crafts come together in a wonderfully vibrant southern atmosphere.
Pézenas is known for its arts and crafts galleries, its antique dealers and the artisans and designers who have settled in the old town. The town attracts many artists, giving it a year-round cultural atmosphere, even out of season.
The culinary speciality of Pézenas is the petit-pâté, a small sweet-and-savoury lamb pastry, a recipe brought back from India by Lord Clive in the 18th century. Try one in the bakeries of the old town.
Molière stayed in Pézenas several times between 1650 and 1657, when the town was the capital of the Estates of Languedoc. It was there that he refined his art and created several of his early plays. The town has dedicated several places of remembrance to him.
Pézenas is about 30 km from La Bergerie du Mas Delon, roughly a 35 to 40-minute drive. Half a day is enough to see the essentials.
The highlights: the grand 17th-century mansions in the old town, the places associated with Molière, the medieval Jewish quarter, the Saturday market and the arts and crafts galleries. Be sure to try the petit-pâté de Pézenas, the local speciality.
Pézenas, Béziers, the Canal du Midi, Lake Salagou: La Bergerie is the ideal base for discovering every side of the Hérault.
