Assas

Assas
Assas
	Saint-Martial church
	; Coat of arms
	; Coat of arms
	Assas
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Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées
Department	Hérault
Arrondissement	Montpellier
Canton	Castries
Intercommunality	Pic-Saint-Loup
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Jacques Graut
Area1	19.11 km2 (7.38 sq mi)
Population (2008)2	1,527
• Density	80/km2 (210/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	34014 / 34820
Elevation	59–164 m (194–538 ft); (avg. 85 m or 279 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Assas is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.

Geography

Located just north of Montpellier, Assas lies near Saint-Vincent de Barbeyrargues, Guzargues, Clapiers, Jacou, Castries and Teyran. The region near Assas is primarily scrubland, but it is watered by a number of streams and brooks and has a small wooded area that produces mushrooms in the fall.

The village of Assas is organized around the Château d'Assas, located on a hill overlooking the small but quaint old village.

Map

The inhabitants are called Assadins.

The region containing Assas is a productive wine-making area, and has the appellation Grès de Montpellier. This is part of the AOC Coteaux du Languedoc designation.

Château d'Assas, an 18th-century folie montpellierraine, designed by the architect Jean-Antoine Giral (1700–1787), was built in 1759/1760 on the ruins of a feudal castle. It is a private residence, but can be toured either by appointment or on national holidays. A historic 18th century harpsichord is preserved in the Château, a favoured instrument of harpsichordist Scott Ross (1951–1989), who died in Assas. At the beginning of the 1920s, Sir Patrick Geddes (born Ballater, Scotland 2 October 1854, died Montpellier, France 17 April 1932), the Scottish botanist, bought the Château d'Assas to set up a centre for urban studies, as an extension of the Collège des Ecossais which he founded in Montpellier in 1890.
The château was used as a set in the filming of La Belle Noiseuse, a film by Jacques Rivette (1991).
A church of the 11th or 12th century, completely restored at the beginning of the 21st century.
Remains of the 10th or 11th century fortifications.
Old village.

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