Saint-Pons de Thomières, double city and city of marble

From the Museum to the Cathedral, its streets lined with ancient stalls and decorated lintels invite you to step back in time.

The marble extracted from local quarries has been used in every stage of the town's development.

 

A little history...

The village of Thomières was founded in the second millennium BC, when people settled in the valley on the right bank of the Jaur river.
Very early on, the Pays de Thomières was the scene of a prestigious history, centered around the abbey founded in 936 by Raymond Pons, Count of Toulouse.
A new town was established around the abbey: Saint-Pons, the Ville Mage, which was to be distinguished from Thomières, the Ville Moindre, with the Jaur separating the two towns, which were linked by several bridges.
Both towns were surrounded by fortifications with watchtowers, and Saint-Pons enjoyed some great moments, thanks in particular to its majestic proportions, the quality of its architecture and the grandeur of its cathedral.
Alas, in 1567, the intrusion of the Huguenots put the town to the sword, before in the 17th century, the Ville Mage and the Ville Moindre merged under the name of Saint-Pons de Thomières.
This merger enabled the town to achieve its greatest influence, thanks to its commercial role and the dynamism of its clothmakers.
The town is of great tourist interest, with its 11th-18th-century cathedral, featuring a baroque marble choir and carved walnut choir stalls. It is the largest Romanesque cathedral in Occitanie. Other heritage treasures include the Governor's House, a 16th-century tower and town gates, a 14th-century chapel, old houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, and a regional prehistory museum.

 

The Jaur spring and its legend

Don't forget to visit the Source du Jaur, considered a sacred site.

Legend even has it that the spring is a monster petrified by the gods.
"In times long past, when the gods jealously courted the daughters of men, a half-dragon, half-snake monster snatched up people in its path with its oversized tongue. It was then that a divine couple came to men's defense. Divanona and Divanogétimar cast a spell on the horrible animal. It was petrified. Today, the animal's mouth and tongue can still be seen in Saint-Pons de Thomières, in the form of the rocky cavity and the pool of water.


Today, Saint-Pons de Thomières is home to the headquarters of the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Languedoc, founded in 1973, which encompasses all the surrounding mountains in an Occitanie region strongly influenced by the troubadours and Cathars.



 

Pays Saint-Ponais Tourist Office 

Place du Foirail
34220 Saint Pons de Thomières

Tel.: 04 67 97 06 65
http://www.saint-pons-tourisme.com/

 

Translated with DeepL.com

(free version)

 

Also to be seen in the department

La Grotte de la Deveze

placeCourniou les Grottes - Hérault 
label Natural curiosities  
Saint-Pons de Thomières

Saint-Pons de Thomières, double city and city of marble

placeSaint-Pons de Thomières – Hérault 
label cities and villages Religious, mystical & pagan cults Museums & Collections  
Juliette Gréco

Juliette Gréco "la montpelliéraine"

placeMontpellier – Hérault 
label People from here  
Le château abbaye de Cassan

The castle abbey of Cassan, "Small Versailles of the Languedoc"

placeRoujan – Hérault 
label Remarkable buildings Religious, mystical & pagan cults Castles & Monuments  

Discover the regions of the Great South