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Lodève |
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| Lodeve Pont de Fer.jpg | |
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Lodève
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| Department | Hérault |
| Arrondissement | Lodève |
| Canton | Lodève |
| Intercommunality | Lodévois |
| Mayor | Marie-Christine Bousquet (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 117–700 m (384–2,300 ft) (avg. 165 m/541 ft) |
| Land area1 | 23.17 km2 (8.95 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 7,345 (2008) |
| - Density | 317 /km2 (820 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 34142/ 34700 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Lodève (Occitan: Lodeva) is a commune in the Hérault département in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
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Lodève lies where the plains rise up to the Larzac plateau, 54 km (34 mi) from Montpellier, in the valley of the Lergue river. It is surrounded by green hills and vineyards and lies only 8 km (5.0 mi) from the large man-made Lac du Salagou.
Lodève started as the capital of a Volque tribe (the Lutevani) before becoming the Roman city Luteva (also known as Forum Neronis). The town was a stopping point on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela via the Arles road. An episcopal city until the French Revolution, it was also a centre for textile production under Louis XV and was home to one of only two royal manufactories for tapestry, the other being the one of the Gobelins in Paris.
More recently, the area was the centre of a firm resistance against the Nazi occupation during the Second World War.
In the vicinity:
Throughout the year, the town hosts a varied programme of festivities and events both cultural and sporting, as well as all sorts of markets which are always well worth a visit. In recent years, the Museum Art Gallery has gained national acclaim for its major art exhibitions.
The "Voix de la Méditerranée" poetry festival, established in 1998 takes place every July for around 9 days. Poets, musicians and writers come from many different countries on the Mediterranean to share their culture through poetry readings, concerts and other cultural events. This is considered a very special festival for poetry and is enjoyable for all.
The annual "Fête de St. Fulcran", the patron saint of the town takes place in May and includes the procession of the saint's relics and a funfair.
| Year | 1793 | 1800 | 1806 | 1821 | 1831 | 1836 | 1841 | 1846 | 1851 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7906 | 7449 | 8317 | 9056 | 9919 | 11,208 | 10,477 | 10,718 | 11,238 |
| Year | 1856 | 1861 | 1866 | 1872 | 1876 | 1881 | 1886 | 1891 | 1896 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,765 | 11,864 | 10,571 | 9464 | 10,528 | 10,185 | 9532 | 9060 | 8416 |
| Year | 1901 | 1906 | 1911 | 1921 | 1926 | 1931 | 1936 | 1946 | 1954 | 1962 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8200 | 7395 | 7668 | 6508 | 6629 | 7020 | 6135 | 6242 | 6426 | 6869 |
| Year | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7556 | 7910 | 8378 | 7602 | 6900 | 7345 |
Lodève has a fairly large Algerian (see pied noir, harki) population, the first generation of which fought for the French and were housed here after the Algerian Civil War.
The town lies on the A75 autoroute about 30 minutes south of the new Millau viaduct, the highest bridge in the world.
Lodève was the birthplace of:
The town houses a famous carpet-manufacturing company, part of the national Savonnerie, which once supplied large, exquisite carpets to the French royal family, and still today produces hand made carpets for State buildings.