Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Assas

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Country
  
France

Department
  
Hérault

Canton
  
Castries

Region
  
Occitanie

Arrondissement
  
Montpellier

Intercommunality
  
Pic-Saint-Loup

Assas

Assas is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.

Contents

Geography

Located just north of Montpellier, Assas lies near Saint-Vincent de Barbeyrargues, Guzargues, Clapiers, Jacou, Castries and Teyran. The region near Assas is primarily scrubland, but it is watered by a number of streams and brooks and has a small wooded area that produces mushrooms in the fall.

The village of Assas is organized around the Château d'Assas, located on a hill overlooking the small but quaint old village.

Population

The inhabitants are called Assadins.

Viticulture

The region containing Assas is a productive wine-making area, and has the appellation Grès de Montpellier. This is part of the AOC Coteaux du Languedoc designation.

Sights

  • Château d'Assas, an 18th-century folie montpellierraine, designed by the architect Jean-Antoine Giral (1700–1787), was built in 1759/1760 on the ruins of a feudal castle. It is a private residence, but can be toured either by appointment or on national holidays. A historic 18th century harpsichord is preserved in the Château, a favoured instrument of harpsichordist Scott Ross (1951–1989), who died in Assas. At the beginning of the 1920s, Sir Patrick Geddes (born Ballater, Scotland 2 October 1854, died Montpellier, France 17 April 1932), the Scottish botanist, bought the Château d'Assas to set up a centre for urban studies, as an extension of the Collège des Ecossais which he founded in Montpellier in 1890.
    The château was used as a set in the filming of La Belle Noiseuse, a film by Jacques Rivette (1991).
  • A church of the 11th or 12th century, completely restored at the beginning of the 21st century.
  • Remains of the 10th or 11th century fortifications.
  • Old village.

    • References

    Assas Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA