Romanesque and Gothic art
The oldest witness is the basilica of Saint-Aphrodise, one of the most venerable churches in Béziers. It is said to be built on the cave where Saint Alphodisius was buried after being beheaded by the Romans; in all likelihood the building was built on an ancient paleochristian necropolis. The 8th century building was considerably altered from the 12th to the 14th century. The austere western facade can be seen from the square created to showcase the building. A few hundred meters from the medieval rampart stands the church of Saint-Jacques. Cited as early as the 9th century, it is a beautiful testimony of the second Mediterranean Romanesque art. What fascinates here is the beautiful balance shown by the pentagonal apse and the remarkable refinement of the capitals of Visigothic inspiration. Occupying a dominant position on the Orb, the church offers a beautiful view of the Saint-Nazaire cathedral. Characteristic of Romanesque architecture, the Pont-Vieux (Old Bridge) has resisted the vicissitudes of the Orb since 1134, or even before, because its base dates back to Roman times. Its squat arches anchor their stone structure firmly in the river: until the middle of the 19th century, it was the only passage over the Orb, on the way from Marseille to Toulouse. Like the prow of a ship, the massive silhouette of the cathedral of Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Celse displays its centuries of history. The current cathedral finds its origins in the walls of the old church erected by Master Gervais in the 12th century. A cornice marks the passage between eras: it presents a frieze of metopes and triglyphs, a legacy from Antiquity. Sculptures emerged during the Romanesque period: they embellished the rough and austere stones of the building. Six historiated capitals were spared from the terrible fire of 1209 which caused the destruction of the Romanesque building. What is interesting about the architecture of the cathedral is the subtle mix of styles: the builders of the time preserved the work of their peers while integrating Gothic know-how. After its fire, the cathedral will know a long reconstruction until the 15th century. More a fortress than a "stone lace", the Saint-Nazaire cathedral is topped by an imposing square tower 48 meters high, crowned by a graceful iron campanile. Its western façade is decorated with an impressive rose window under which stands the entrance portal. It should be noted that due to lack of funds, the cloister of St. Nazaire was never completed: a large number of capitals on the garden side colonnades are missing. The collegiate church of Notre-Dame de Grâce in Sérignan is also one of the most beautiful examples of Gothic art in the Biterrois region. Like the cathedral, its architecture is a succession of styles, witnesses of the history of the place and the region.
Habitats born of the vine
Appearing in the 19th century with the expansion of the vineyard, the winegrowers' houses participated in the expansion of the villages of the Biterrois. These houses were used both as a place of work and a home. They have different sizes according to the wealth of the owners. As a general rule, the cellar was accessed from a trappon installed on the sidewalk for the town houses. A cellar or a wine storehouse could occupy the first floor, relegating the house to the second floor. Sometimes there was a second floor, called the galetas (attic), to store hay. We notice the presence of a window with an external pulley on the façade. The rise of the wine industry, and the arrival of the railroad, led to the economic development of the region, and to the fortune of the merchants of Béziers. The buildings of the Paul Riquet alleys, with their rich Haussmann style, are all testimonies of this glorious success. One can still admire the magnificent private mansions decorated with sculptures and sumptuous ironwork balconies, skilfully worked. Often the work of the best architects of the time, these houses display a deliberately ostentatious luxury, underlining the prosperity of Béziers. This demonstration of wealth can also be seen in the châteaux of the Pinardiers. With this desire for excess, castles were built in the heart of the agricultural plain. Displaying the whims of the owners and the overflowing imagination of the architects, these castles display an architectural singularity where all the styles are mixed in a joyful dissonance. The norms are shaken up, and these are decorative ensembles with a strong identity that we come across at the bend in the road.
Modern architecture and its signatures
The urban architecture of Béziers is innovative and beautiful buildings highlight these modern developments. For contemporary architects, it is a question of inscribing in modernity an architecture resulting from a Mediterranean cultural heritage. Designed and built by the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the André Malraux media library in Béziers provides the city with a cultural venue open to all. The anchoring of this building in front of Jean Moulin's birthplace makes the media library a unifying element in the urban space. Made up of stone and glass monoliths, the architecture offers fluidity and perspective around the central patio open to the outside. In Sérignan, the architect Nicolas Guillot, in close collaboration with the sculptor and visual artist Daniel Buren, designed the Cigalière building. A place for artistic creations, the hall and its contemporary architecture with glass facades are located in the heart of the Rayonnant: a colossal work that spreads out in a fan of 170 metal pylons opening the view towards the horizon. At night, the work comes to life as the columns light up and blend harmoniously into the ancient Mediterranean garden with its remarkable trees. Modern architecture can surprise with its design and the originality of its lines. This is the case for Le Ruban in Béziers, where the building so named features vertical bands of white prefabricated concrete and shades of gray. Contemporary works highlighting the creativity of the architects in the innovative use of today's materials.
