France/ North of Montpellier: Lunas "la verte" awarded the "Petite cité à caractère de France" label
Lunas, a peaceful country commune 40km north-west of Montpellier, has just been awarded the "Petite cité à caractère de France" label. A fine Christmas present for the mayor.
It's a great victory for the peaceful rural commune of Lunas, 40km north-west of Montpellier: it has just been awarded the precious label of "Petite cité à caractère de France". No other village in the Hérault region has been awarded the label until now, and with the commune of Laroque, on the southern outskirts of Ganges, two more rural villages have been added to the 200 other Petites cités à caractère de France scattered across the region.
In Lunas, there's no hiding the pride: "It's official as of Monday December 16, 2024, Lunas is now one of the 200 or so communes in France to have been awarded this label", confirms the happy Aurélien Manenc, mayor of this village of over 700 souls, which is permanently in bloom. A wonderful Christmas present.
Lunas' centuries-old history, its dynamic associations, the involvement of its shopkeepers and craftsmen, and the actions taken by the commune to preserve its heritage, were all noted by the jury, who had been studying the application for over a month and carried out an on-site audit last November. The commune, which is home to a "little Lourdes" as the friendly monk of Notre-Dame de Nize repeats over and over again, won over the members of the jury.
A "little Venice" of the countryside
"The commune adheres to the values of the "Petites Cités de Caractère® de France" quality charter, which for more than forty years has aimed to promote communes that are atypical in terms of their history and heritage, with the objective of safeguarding heritage and using it as a lever for development. This is certainly the case for Lunas, whose town has been built over time around the eagle's nest of the Redondel rock, on the banks of its three rivers, its castle rebuilt in the 18th century and itsits 17th-century castle and listed monuments," explains Aurélien Manenc, who is also a fire officer at Sdis 34 headquarters. This picturesque and charming country village can be described as the " Little Venice" of the Hérault hinterland.
At the heart of the Terres d'Hérault Geopark
Lunas, a sports village above the Lac du Salagou, gateway to the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut Languedoc, at the heart of the Terres d'Hérault Geopark, is one of the first communes in the department to be awarded the label. This label, which involves all those involved in the life of the commune, is recognition of the work accomplished over the years to preserve its heritage, improve the quality of life of its inhabitants on a daily basis, and offer visitors to our tourist commune® a unique experience.
A "jewel of water and greenery
This label will also contribute to the development of the entire Orb Mountains region, which is exceptionally rich in historical, natural and human heritage, with its geology, water, nature and buildings. It also represents a commitment to ensuring that Lunas, a "green and watery setting", continues to work with all stakeholders to beautify the town and preserve its heritage, while meeting the needs of the 21st century. The network of "petites cités de caractère" will undoubtedly contribute to this. It's a label that will encourage Héraultais and Occitanie residents, as well as tourists, to stop off at Lunas "la verte".
Laroque also a winner
The Laroque town hall, which has a population of 1,700, also expressed its delight on social networks: "This Monday, December 16, 2024, marks an unprecedented turning point in the history of Laroque. Our atypical medieval village is taking its place on the national stage by assuming the title of "Petite Cité de Caractère® de France". Mayor Pierrick Ciribino is delighted to announce that Laroque has joined the network of some 200 communes in France that have been awarded the label. In Laroque, as in Lunas, this precious label will undoubtedly contribute to boosting tourist appeal.
A concept born in the 70s
The concept of Petites Cités de Caractère® (Small Towns of Character) was born in the mid-1970s to promote atypical towns, both rural in location and population, and urban in history and heritage.These towns, once administrative, political, religious, commercial and military centers, have often seen their urban functions reduced following France's administrative and industrial revolutions. They lost many of their urban functions, and found themselves without the population or financial means to maintain this heritage.
The aim of the Petites Cités de Caractère® project is to unite the various players in these towns around a single objective: to safeguard their heritage as a lever for regional development. Other communes in the Hérault region have also been awarded this national label.
Source: actu.fr/occitanie/
