Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

History

The village has maintained its historic state. Because of its isolation, in 806 Saint Guilhem established the monastery of Gellone here. In 804, saint Guillaume ('saint Guilhèm' in langue d'oc), the count of Toulouse and Duke of Aquitaine, founded an abbey here at a time when the valley was virtually uninhabited, hence its appellation "desert". The abbey was called The Abbey of Gellone until Guillaume's death in 812, after which it was named The Abbey of Guillaume, and then the Abbey of Saint-Guilhem following his canonization in 1066. The Abbey of Aniane, nearby, was founded around 782 by a relative of Guillaume. The abbey became a very important centre of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages due to a claim that a relic of a piece of the true cross was housed here. The town developed around the abbey. In the Middle Ages, the abbey fell within the territory of the diocese of Lodeve. During the French Revolution, the town temporarily bore the name of Verdus-le-Désert.

Geography

The municipality of Saint-Guilhem covers nearly 40km² in area. The town is served by two departmental roads - the D122 and D4. The nearest towns are Saint-André-de-Sangonis (12 km away) and Gignac (15 km away). Montpellier, Lodève and Ganges (which stands near the source of the Hérault) are all about 35 km away. The town has retained a medieval appearance. It is located on the borders of the Massif Central, in the middle valley of the Hérault, north of the department of the same name. The territory of the town lies in an intramontane zone formed by the extension of the Séranne mountain and the Cellette mountain a few kilometres from the Garrigues of the plain of Languedoc. The commune of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is drained by the river Hérault and its tributaries Verdus and Ruisseau de la Combe du Bouys.

Most-observed species

• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,178
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,606
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,209
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,192
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,113
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,824
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  1,763
• Eurasian Blackcap

  Sylvia atricapilla (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,642

Most recent

• M 4.3 — 2011-08-03
  4 km ESE of Barjac, France
• M 2.6 — 2008-11-26
  1 km WSW of Creissan, France
• M 2.5 — 2007-09-02
  9 km ESE of Gruissan, France
• M 2.6 — 2007-08-03
  1 km NE of Jonquières-Saint-Vincent, France
• M 2.5 — 2007-01-20
  16 km NW of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, France
• M 2.7 — 2006-12-22
  15 km E of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France