Bize-Minervois

Coordinates: 43°19′07″N 2°52′16″E / 43.31861, 2.871

Administration
Commune of Bize-Minervois
Location

Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon
Department	Aude
Arrondissement	Narbonne
Canton	Ginestas
Intercommunality	Canal du Midi en Minervois
Mayor	Alain Fabre (2001-2008)
Statistics
Elevation	34–323 m
Land area^¹	20.80 km²
Population^² (2004)	1022
- Density	42/km² (2004)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	11041/ 11120
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once.

Bize-Minervois is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 Notable sites and buildings
5 Events
6 Amenities
7 References
8 External links

Geography

Located on the edge of the Haut-Minervois in the Cesse valley, Bize lies between the fetile sedimentary plain of Narbonne and the causses of the Minervois and the Montagne Noire. Bize is situated approximately 3km north of the D5 between Olonzac and Capestang. Bize is a small village with a population approximately 1,000 where a quarter of the houses are second homes.

History

Bize is first mentioned in 911 in the will of man named Walcharius who left the lands of the parish of Saint-Saturnin of Bizan to the Archbishop of Narbonne. During the religious wars of the 16th century Bize changed hands many times and in 1573 was fortified as a protestant stronghold against the catholic Bishops of Narbonne.

Demographics

Date of Population

1793	1800	1806	1820	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851
1 025	903	1 037	-	1 106	1 065	1 135	1 166	978	1 170

1856	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896
1 148	1 210	1 280	1 226	1 419	1 634	1 492	1 483	1 496

1901	1906	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954
1 551	1 491	1 459	1 455	1 318	1 324	1 253	1 231	1 032

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2004	-	-
1 004	1 001	921	783	807	872	-	-	-
For the census of 1962 to 1999 the official population corresponds with the population without duplicates according to the INSEE.

Notable sites and buildings

Caves Las Fonts (Moulin) - Paleolithic caves, now a classified monument where prehistoric remains were discovered in 1827 by French archaeologist and scientist Paul Tournal, founder of the Narbonne Museum. ^[1]
La Porte Saint Michel 1236 - the main gate in to the village coming from the direction of Narbonne. A second gate, La Porte St Croix - the entrance from the direction Argeliers, Minerve and Saint-Pons - was demolished in the 19th century to allow easier passage for carts.
The church of Saint-Michel (18th century)

Events

'Fete d l'olivier' - Festival of Olives is held annually in July^[2]
General market every Wednesday morning throughout the year

Amenities

Bize has a butcher, baker, two general stores, post office, hairdressers, newsagents, sweet shop and a wine cave. There is also a bar and several restaurants. Sporting facilities include a boulodrome, football pitches (home of Bize FC), tennis courts and in the summer the Cesse is dammed to create a freshwater swimming hole.