Ancient and Medieval Beginnings

Roman Influence: Though Lamalou lacks direct Roman settlement evidence, its thermal springs were likely used regionally for healing, as nearby Roman sites like Béziers (39 km away) exploited natural resources 612.
Medieval Context: The area was part of rural Languedoc, with the Prieuré Saint-Pierre de Rhèdes (11th–12th century) serving as a religious hub for nearby villages. The parish church of Saint-Pierre-de-Rhèdes was the mother church for settlements like Hérépian and Le Poujol-sur-Orb 14.
19th-Century Transformation

Birth of a Spa Town: In 1845, the commune of Villecelle was carved from Mourcairol (now Les Aires). Renamed Lamalou-les-Bains in 1878, its identity shifted when miners discovered hot springs (52°C) while digging for copper and silver in the Usclade forest. A local farmer’s serendipitous mud bath relief from pain sparked its thermal reputation

Locals joke that the mineral-rich thermal springs (52°C) are so rejuvenating that even the stone statues in the town square look younger after a rainfall. The most famous example? A weathered 19th-century bust of a doctor—nicknamed "Pépé Thermo"—that allegedly grew a moss "beard" after decades of steam exposure, leading to an annual "Shave the Doc" festival where children scrubbing it clean with brushes

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