Architecture in the age of time
In the east of the former region, the know-how of the Romans is, two thousand years after their apogee, still very visible, especially in the Gard and Hérault. The Maison Carrée, the arenas of Nîmes and the Pont du Gard remind the passer-by that there was a time when architecture, which had to be majestic, was no joke. The Tour Magne or the Porte d'Auguste say a lot about the way the Romans secured the conquered or annexed areas. Also to be noted, in the Aude, the inner walls of the City of Carcassonne, from the Lower Empire, the oldest written mention of which dates back to the year 333, or Narbonne, and its rich ancient heritage which allows you to admire the Via Domitia, the underground galleries of thehorreum and an archaeological collection that is unique in France. The city has also acquired a large museum of Romanity, Narbo Via, in 2020. It exhibits some of the 2,000 pieces of preserved lapidary furniture, making it the richest collection after that of Rome.
Languedoc-Roussillon, which has always been a land of contacts and exchanges, pacifist or not, has been bathed in various artistic currents that have come to mingle with indigenous traditions. After the first Christian art, the Carolingian renaissance in the north of the Empire did not really reach the region. The first southern Romanesque art, coming from Lombardy, is a sober art, turned towards the problems of architecture: sculpture is rare and fantasy resides in a mural decoration of bands, arcades and toothed friezes. The second Romanesque art, however, is mainly expressed in large buildings. It is then the blossoming of a perfectly accomplished sculpture where humans, flora and a fantastic bestiary, with oriental origins, frolic. In Roussillon, a very homogeneous and original style was thus created which found its most complete expression in the capitals of the cloisters of the Catalan abbeys.
After the Cathar episode and the integration of Languedoc into the kingdom of France, the region was subject to the artistic influence of the north of the country, particularly with the appearance of the Gothic style in both civil and religious architecture. It is the time of the construction of the great cathedrals which will mark the print of the religious power on the cities of the région : Carcassonne, Narbonne, Béziers, Mende, Lodève, Clermont-l'Hérault, Nimes...
Only Roussillon, an independent kingdom, will keep some originalities, the Catalan particularism. A number of monuments in Perpignan, such as the Palace of the Kings of Majorca, built in the 13th century, the Castillet, the former main gate of the city, the Sea Lodge dating from the 14th century, the town hall also from the medieval period or the Casa Xanxo from the early 16th century, were built magnificently in the Catalan style. One notes the regular use of brick, which is very present in the architecture of certain monuments.
The Catalan influence can also be found in religious architecture, such as in theAbbey of Saint-Michel de Cuxa or the Priory of Serrabona, whose tribune is a remarkable example of Catalan Romanesque art. It is particularly visible in the furniture and altarpieces. The apogee of this art was reached in 1489 with the " retable of the Trinité ", a major work preserved in the Rigaud Museum in Perpignan. It shows how Roussillon at the time was at the confluence of all European influences: Avignon, Burgundy, Flanders, Germany, Northern France, Italy... Thus from the 14th to the 15th century, the pictorial production will concentrate on this form of religious painting, generally commissioned by laymen, and that we find nowadays in Palau-del-Vidre, Perpignan, Argelès, Rigarda, Iravals, Vinça...
Subsequently, the Renaissance had little effect on the region and it was not until the Classical period that architecture changed the urban landscape. This revolution was brought about by Auguste-Charles d'Aviler (1653-1701) who, as the provincial architect, carried out prestigious projects but also participated in more modest works. All around the towns, bourgeois and notables had summer residences built (like the follies of Montpellier), small castles surrounded by vineyards that foreshadowed the castles " pinardiers " that would appear on the plain in the 19th century at " l 'Eldorado du Vin ".
Medieval castles
To proceed with a complete enumeration of the medieval castles that mark out the territory of the region, would lead to a long and tedious reading. Indeed, of the five departments, some are majestic, imposing, large, long, small, ruined or well preserved. Very often, bastides and castles are former places of resistance, fortresses ready to answer to any assailant coming from elsewhere to besiege it. Thus, they were often erected on the crest of mountains and hills, overlooking nature to better dominate the enemy.On the territory of the Aude, it is the castles of the Pays Cathare which have marked the landscape with its tormented reliefs: the castles of Saissac,Lastours,Aguilar,Puilaurens,Peyrepertuse,Quéribus or Puivert, without forgetting of course the impressive city of Carcassonne. Anyone who loves the medieval period will be conquered by these hillside fortifications. One cannot talk about the castles of the region without mentioning the splendid royal castle of Collioure in the Pyrénées-Orientales.Also noteworthy is the fortress of Salses,in the same department, which was built by order of King Ferdinand II of Aragon at the end of the 15th century to control the passage then linking France to Spain.
In the Gard, the towers and ramparts of Aigues-Mortes, erected under Louis IX, transport you back to the feudal era, in the heart of the Camargue. It is possible to visit them throughout the year. Finally, in the heart of the Cévennes, the imposing Château de Portes, which controlled the route of the pilgrims of Saint-Gilles and the crusaders leaving for the Holy Land, offers visitors a breathtaking view of the surrounding nature.
Habitats born of the vine
The winegrowers' houses appeared at the time of the expansion of the vineyards and participated in the expansion of the villages. The villages having developed in a concentric way around the castrum, these houses are generally located in the second or third concentric circle. These alignments of houses are particularly remarkable in Saint-Thibéry and Montagnac in the Hérault. At the time, these houses were used both as workplaces and homes. They have various sizes and decorations which depended on the wealth of their owner. Generally, the wine cellar was located on the first floor, accessed through a large portal called "magasin". The first floor could be used as a wine storehouse, barn or cellar. The living quarters were located on the first floor. Sometimes, there was a second floor called "the galetas" or attic, for the hay. In this case, one notices the presence of a window with an external pulley on the facade.
The rise of the wine industry also led to the fortune of rich merchants at the end of the 19th century. Affected by a mad desire to build, they built castles in the heart of the agricultural plain, they are called "châteaux pinardiers". Symbols of a triumphant economy, they do not have a unique architecture or decor, they are the result of an architectural profusion, a mixture of the whims of the owners and the fantasies of the architects. Romanesque, Gothic, classical, baroque, neo-Renaissance or colonial styles are mixed, standards are shaken up and monuments with a strong and unique identity appear at the bend of the paths. If the construction has not changed, few are the decorative ensembles that are still intact. A few chateaux of the Pinard family: the château de Pinet-Gaujal de Saint-Bon, the château de Saint-Martin de Graves in Pézenas...
Modern architecture
For about fifty years, the urban architecture of Languedoc has been innovative. The department of Hérault is an excellent illustration of these modern developments.
Already in the 1970s, with the development of boating, the practice of which is becoming more democratic, the seaside resorts are being transformed. La Grande-Motte is the best example of this mutation since it is the most important port created along the coast of Languedoc-Roussillon by the RACINE mission (interministerial mission of tourist development of the coast of Languedoc-Roussillon). Here, the architect Jean Balladur broke with tradition and built ziggurat-type buildings reminiscent of pre-Columbian pyramids. Thanks to these architectural achievements, the city has been awarded the "Heritage of the 20th Century" label.
This wind of modernity also blew on Montpellier. In 2011, architects Jean Nouvel and François Fontès were chosen to design the latest city hall. The result: a 40-meter high transparent parallelepiped. Very contemporary, this building is also ecological, it hosts one of the largest photovoltaic power plants in France. The structure is made of steel and clad with aluminum and glass facades that take the city into another dimension.
Also in the capital of Languedoc, we can mention the work of architect Zaha Hadid, who is responsible for Pierresvives, a 3,500m2 space dedicated to culture inaugurated in 2012. Built in concrete and glass, this building with its complex geometry is presented in three dimensions. Zaha Hadid has created fluid lines, sharp angles and plays of transparency that give an impression of movement. Her work made her the first woman to be awarded the Pritzker Prize, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in architecture.
Finally, let's talk about the "White Tree", elected the most beautiful building in the world in 2020 by a website specialized in architecture. This contemporary building, all white and with suspended balconies and terraces giving the illusion of leaves hanging from a tree, was built in spring 2019 on the banks of the Lez. For those who like to take the high ground, on the 17th floor, the White Tree now offers the most beautiful view of Montpellier, the Mediterranean on one side and the Saint-Loup peak on the other.
