A village of the Pic Saint-Loup, near Montpellier
Assas has 1,405 inhabitants in 19.3 square kilometres, a few kilometres north of Montpellier. The commune is part of the community of communes of the Grand Pic Saint-Loup, a territory of famous garrigues and vineyards. A Natura 2000 site, the Hautes Garrigues du Montpelliérais, covers a part of the territory, where agriculture remains oriented towards viticulture, in the name Grès-de-Montpellier and, on the north of the municipality, in the name Pic-Saint-Loup.
The village is crossed from north to south by departmental road 109, whose narrow crossing of the centre is sometimes difficult for traffic. A pedestrian and cycle path connects Assas with the neighbouring town of Saint-Vincent-de-Barbeyrargues.
Thirty-two minutes, by the tram terminal
From the accommodation, the road measures 22 kilometres and runs in 32 minutes. A car-free alternative exists until the end : the 610 bus line of the Hérault Transport network connects Assas to the Saint-Éloi tram station on line 1 of the Montpellierrain network. However, the frequency of this line remains limited during the day, making it a complement rather than a main solution.
The castle of Assas, an 18th century madness
The current castle of Assas, attributed to the architect Jean-Antoine Giral, was built in 1759 and 1760 on the site of a feudal castle today disappeared. He is one of the Montpellierian "insanities", these houses built by the bourgeoisie and the nobility of robes around their domains. The castle is now classified and listed as historical monuments. Nearby, the Romanesque church of Saint-Martial, 11th or 12th century, fully restored, is classified as a historical monument since 29 December 1987.
A name that has gone through centuries
The knight of Assas, whose origins date back to the seigneurial family of the village, gave his name indirectly to the University Paris-Panthéon-Assas, located on Rue d'Assas in Paris. The village also served as a setting : the film La Belle Noiseuse, by Jacques Rivette, awarded the Grand Prix du Jury at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, was shot almost entirely there, followed the following year by Le Retour de Casanova, by Édouard Niermans, with Alain Delon.
The private castle is also home to a regular cultural life : the Scott Ross Festival is held annually in June in memory of the harpsichordist who lived and died in the commune in 1989. The Crouzets room has a programme of cinema, theatre and concerts, and the village hosts Choral, Pic, a festival of choirs in the streets of the old village, as well as a votive party in mid-July.
For whom this base makes sense
- A desire for garrigue and vineyards without going too far from Montpellier : Assas is ready for a half-day outing.
- Heritage curiosity for this small village with its famous name in Paris, via the castle and the church of Saint-Martial.
- A stay combined with the Pic Saint-Loup, of which Assas marks one of the entrance doors from Montpellier.
- An evening concert or festival, if the stay falls in June, for the Scott Ross festival, or in mid-July, for the village votive party.
Studio or duplex before an exit to the Pic Saint-Loup
For a two-way getaway to Assas and the Grand Pic Saint-Loup, the studio offers a convenient working space to organize the road in advance. Family or several, the duplex allows to distribute this exit on a longer stay, between garrigue and center of Montpellier. Both units are located in downtown Saint-Jean-de-Védas, a 7-minute walk from the tram to Saint-Éloi.
The page devoted to Clapiers details another municipality on the road to Assas.
