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Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert |
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| Gellone monastery | |
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Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| Department | Hérault |
| Arrondissement | Lodève |
| Canton | Aniane |
| Mayor | Philippe Machetel (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 54–812 m (177–2,664 ft) (avg. 89 m/292 ft) |
| Land area1 | 38.64 km2 (14.92 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 256 (2008) |
| - Density | 7 /km2 (18 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 34261/ 34150 |
| 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. | |
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (in Occitan Sant Guilhèm dau Desèrt) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France.
Situated in the narrow valley of the Gellone river where it meets the steep sided gorge of the Hérault River, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is essentially a mediaeval village located on the Chemin de St Jacques (St James' Way) pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostella.
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The village has maintained its historic state. Because of its isolation, in 806 Saint Guilhem established the monastery of Gellone here.
| Year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 197 | 229 | 274 | 236 | 190 | 245 | 256 |
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France ("The most beautiful villages of France"), and the Abbey of Gellone, along with the nearby Pont du Diable were designated UNESCO World Heritages sites in 1999.[1]
A part of the cloister of the monastery was moved to The Cloisters museum of Manhattan.
A new sculpture museum, containing stone works from the abbey, was dedicated on June 26, 2009. In coordination with this event, a weekend of music and a colloquium was organized in large part by the Camerata Mediterranea.