A small village with a remarkable park
Jacou has 6,924 inhabitants, on the immediate outskirts of Montpellier. The village remained small until the 19th century, with less than a hundred inhabitants, before the proximity of the metropolis accelerated its growth since 1962. Its main asset is the Bocaud Public Park, a former castle park open to all.
25 minutes including tram
The journey from Saint-Jean-de-Védas is 22.8 kilometres, or about 25 minutes by car, in fluid traffic. Jacou is also served by the tram : a station bears the name of the village, which allows you to go without a car from the centre of Montpellier, in addition to the drive from the accommodation. The name of the village, attested as early as 1144 in the form S. Petri de Jocone, took its present form only in 1740, after several phonetic deformations. Its inhabitants are nicknamed Jacoumards and Jacoumardes. Jacou has also been paired since 1999 with Sernancelhe in Portugal, who has offered the village a fountain now installed on site.
The nymph of the Shell, unique in Languedoc
In Bocaud Park, the hydraulic ensemble of the Shell combines a 17th century nymph, a false cave decorated with the nickname "the room of freshness", and a wheeled well tower of a dozen meters high. The ensemble is classified as a historical monument and described as unmatched in Montpellieran madness. The castle of Bocaud, today city hall, is also inscribed with historical monuments, as is its 18th and 19th century gardens, open to the winter public, every Wednesday. The romantic lake of the park, dug in the 1820s, completes the walk.
An associative village and its shared orchard
Jacou has about 90 associations with nearly 5,000 members. The shared orchard of the carbet, created at the end of 2012 on a communal land of 9,000 square meters, is one example : a educational and friendly place maintained collectively, without synthetic pesticides. The village also retains two remarkable religious statues. The statue of Notre-Dame du Bon Secours, erected in 1899, is offered to the commune by the family of Solanet, owner of the castle between 1888 and 1917, and cast by the foundry of art by Antoine Durenne, in Sommevoyre in Haute-Marne. The one of Notre-Dame des Victoires, long at the monument to the dead, is moved in 2019 on the square Frédéric Mistral, behind the castle. The village also keeps track of its industrial past : old buildings built between 1945 and 1947 housed the production of a local aperitif, the "Jackina", before becoming the seat of the youth house and the Boby Lapointe culture.
For whom this base makes sense
- A daily heritage visit : the classified nymph and the castle gardens are seen in a morning, before returning to the road.
- A weekend with children : the 6-hectare park and the La Passerelle showroom occupy an afternoon.
- A carless ride from Montpellier : the tram station Jacou allows to alternate outings in town and visit the village.
Studio or duplex for this stay
For a visit to Bocaud Park, the studio offers everything you need, including wifi to prepare the itinerary. Family, the duplex, with its two bedrooms and three beds, leaves room after a day of visit. Both units are located in downtown Saint-Jean-de-Védas, with quick access to A709 to take the road to Jacou.
To explore other villages north of Montpellier, the page dedicated to Castelnau-le-Lez complete this exit.
