Bize-Minervois

Bize-Minervois is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.

Bize-Minervois
Commune
The Cesse river in Bize-Minervois
Coat of arms
Location of Bize-Minervois
Bize-Minervois Bize-Minervois
Coordinates: 43°19′07″N 2°52′16″E
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Department	Aude
Arrondissement	Narbonne
Canton	Le Sud-Minervois
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Alain Fabre
Area ^1	20.80 km^2 (8.03 sq mi)
Population  (2017-01-01)[1]	1,185
• Density	57/km^2 (150/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	11041 /11120
Elevation	34–323 m (112–1,060 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Located on the edge of the Haut-Minervois in the Cesse valley, Bize lies between the fertile sedimentary plain of Narbonne and the causses of the Minervois and the Montagne Noire. Bize is situated approximately 3 km north of the D5 between Olonzac and Capestang. Bize is a small village with a population approximately 1,000 where a quarter of the houses are second homes.

History

Bize is first mentioned in 911 in the will of man named Walcharius who left the lands of the parish of Saint-Saturnin of Bizan to the Archbishop of Narbonne. During the religious wars of the 16th century Bize changed hands many times and in 1573 was fortified as a protestant stronghold against the catholic Bishops of Narbonne.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1793	1,025	—
1800	903	−11.9%
1806	1,037	+14.8%
1821	1,106	+6.7%
1831	1,065	−3.7%
1836	1,135	+6.6%
1841	1,166	+2.7%
1846	978	−16.1%
1851	1,170	+19.6%
1856	1,148	−1.9%
1861	1,210	+5.4%
1866	1,280	+5.8%
1872	1,226	−4.2%
1876	1,419	+15.7%
1881	1,634	+15.2%
1886	1,492	−8.7%
1891	1,483	−0.6%
1896	1,496	+0.9%
1901	1,551	+3.7%
1906	1,491	−3.9%
1911	1,459	−2.1%
1921	1,455	−0.3%
1926	1,318	−9.4%
1931	1,324	+0.5%
1936	1,253	−5.4%
1946	1,231	−1.8%
1954	1,032	−16.2%
1962	1,004	−2.7%
1968	1,001	−0.3%
1975	921	−8.0%
1982	783	−15.0%
1990	807	+3.1%
1999	872	+8.1%
2008	1,061	+21.7%

Sights

• Caves Las Fonts (Moulin) - Paleolithic caves, now a classified monument where prehistoric remains were discovered in 1827 by French archaeologist and scientist Paul Tournal, founder of the Narbonne Museum.[2]
• La Porte Saint Michel 1236 - the main gate in to the village coming from the direction of Narbonne. A second gate, La Porte St Croix - the entrance from the direction Argeliers, Minerve and Saint-Pons - was demolished in the 19th century to allow easier passage for carts.
• The church of Saint-Michel (18th century)

Events

• 'Fete d l'olivier' - Festival of Olives is held annually in July[3]
• General market every Wednesday morning throughout the year

Amenities

Bize has two bakers, two general stores, a post office, hairdressers, a pharmacy, and a wine cave. There is also a bar and several restaurants. Sporting facilities include a boulodrome, football pitches (home of Bize FC), tennis courts and in the summer the Cesse is dammed to create a freshwater swimming hole.

See also

• Communes of the Aude department

References

1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
2. Magazine of Natural History on Google Books
3. Le Minervois : historic region in the Languedoc Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

External links

• The official website of Bize-Minervois