At the heart of political news: a merger between Clermont-l’Hérault and Lodève. And why not, wonders Brigitte Saint-Pierre, passionate about the history of the town that she shares with the greatest number as a volunteer guide. “For six centuries, from the 12th to the 18th centuries, they wrote together an important page in their history, they were both part of the civil diocese of Lodève until the creation of the departments.” During this new administrative unit, Clermont-Lodève becomes Clermont-l’Hérault.
The hairy uniforms
“Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the textile industry was important. This economic boom was supported by a network of workshops centered around Lodève and Clermont-l’Hérault”, assure historians. “An important economic link between Lodève and Clermont develops, when they join forces for the manufacture of fabrics for the uniforms of the Poilus of the war of 14-18”, specifies in turn Marie Daudé, professor of history.
“This has allowed a volatile distribution of capital and labor for both these cities and their surrounding communes,” relates Émile Appoli, historian from Lodges. A repeated economic collaboration with the extraction of uranium in the 1980s by Cogema until 1999.
Thanks to their geographical location, these two municipalities are located on the road linking the Biterrois to the Massif Central. A strategic route for trade, facilitated in 1863 by the start-up of the rail network linking these two towns until it closed in the 1960s. A route taken again during the construction of the A75 motorway.
The road connecting the two towns was submerged in 1969 with the impoundment of the artificial lake of Salagou. Quite a symbol! It is through this lake that the notoriety and the tourist attractiveness of these cities were built. It is together that they submitted an application for classification to the Grand Site de France label. Another symbol of cohesion, advances Brigitte Saint-Pierre: “The construction of their monument to the dead entrusted to the sculptor from Lodévois Paul Dardé. So many common points to write a new page in history.” Join the community of communes of Lodévois and Larzac? And why not ! “This new administrative division would almost reform the territory prior to 1789 of the civil diocese of Lodève”, predicts Brigitte Saint-Pierre.
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