Ancient Origins (Pre-Roman to Roman Era)

Greek and Celtic Roots:

Founded around 575 BCE by Greeks, Béziers (Beterrae) predates nearby Agde and rivals Marseille in antiquity. The site was later inhabited by Celts before Roman conquest in 123 BCE.

Roman Prosperity:

Refounded as Colonia Julia Baeterrae in 36–35 BCE for legionary veterans, it became a thriving trade hub. The Romans built an amphitheater, aqueducts, and roads, exporting wine to Rome (evidenced by marked dolia jars.

Islamic Interlude:

Briefly held by Muslim forces (720–752 CE) during the Umayyad expansion into Iberia.

Medieval Turbulence (10th–15th Centuries)

Cathar Stronghold:

By the 12th century, Béziers was a center of Catharism, a dualist Christian sect condemned by the Church. The Albigensian Crusade (1209) saw the city massacred by crusaders under papal legate Arnaud-Amaury, who infamously ordered, “Kill them all; God will know His own.” Nearly 20,000 perished, including refugees in the burning Saint-Nazaire Cathedral.

Rebuilding:

Despite devastation, the city was repopulated. The cathedral was reconstructed in Gothic style (1215–15th century), and Béziers became a royal domain in 1247

When engineer Pierre-Paul Riquet designed the Canal du Midi in the 17th century, he forgot one tiny detail: the Orb River. The original plan forced boats to cross the unpredictable Orb, which often flooded or dried up, leaving barges stranded. The solution? A "bridge for boats"—the Pont-canal de l’Orb (1858), an aqueduct that lets the canal float over the river. Locals joke it’s the world’s most elegant "patch job," like building a highway over a pothole instead of fixing it

When engineer Pierre-Paul Riquet designed the Canal du Midi in the 17th century, he forgot one tiny detail: the Orb River. The original plan forced boats to cross the unpredictable Orb, which often flooded or dried up, leaving barges stranded. The solution? A "bridge for boats"—the Pont-canal de l’Orb (1858), an aqueduct that lets the canal float over the river. Locals joke it’s the world’s most elegant "patch job," like building a highway over a pothole instead of fixing it

After the 1209 Albigensian Crusade massacre (where 20,000 were killed), Béziers was repopulated—but locals still call the Place de la Madeleine "the square where the dead outnumber the living."

The city’s official slogan is "Béziers, City of Peace"—a nod to its violent past. The irony isn’t lost on anyone.

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