Roman Roots:
The site was initially occupied by Roman villas, with evidence of early settlement. The name Faugères derives from the Latin Falicaria (fern), first recorded as Falgarias in 934 AD, reflecting its lush vegetation.
Feudal Era:
By the 11th century, Faugères emerged as a fortified stronghold under the Trencavel viscounts of Béziers. The Château de Faugères (built by 1030 AD) served as a key defensive structure during the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229).
Religious Turmoil:
A Protestant stronghold during the Wars of Religion, the castle was heavily damaged in 1622 during a siege by Catholic forces under Montmorency. Stones from its ruins were later used to build the village’s Protestant church (1837).
Faugères’ vineyards are constantly under siege by wild boars (sangliers), which can "strip an entire hectare of vines overnight" with their grape-gobbling antics. Locals turned the tables by making wild boar stew (daube de sangliers) the star dish at wine feasts—served with generous pours of Faugères AOC reds. The irony? The boars’ last meal (stolen grapes) ends up flavoring the wine paired with their own meat. "Poetic justice," as one winemaker put it, while raising a glass