Pezenas is without doubt the most beautiful town in Languedoc, if not the whole of South France. I maybe biased because Pezenas is my local town, but it is without doubt a great place to visit in France if you are on vacation. The best time to visit Pezenas is in the height of summer during the regular Friday night Estivale when all the shops in Pezenas stay open late, local vineyards are selling their wine on the streets, live music is playing and the old town is buzzing with life.

Pezenas is a beautiful historic town with cobbled streets, stunning 16th and 17th century French mansion houses, a good selection of restaurants and a fabulous weekly market. Pezenas provides all the charm of Provence, but without the price tag. It also has better weather, better transport connections and I would say, better wine. 

Pezenas is a small town of 8,000 people, located just 20 mins from the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean coast, just south of the city of Montpellier, about 1 hour north of the Spanish border. The town is well connected with 4 airports nearby (Beziers, Montpellier, Carcassonne and Perpignan), a TGV train station about 15 mins away and the A9 and A75 autoroutes are on your doorstep. 

Pezenas is set within the Languedoc vineyards (the largest wine production region in France) and the good vineyards of St Chinian, Faugeres and Picpoul de Pinet are not far away.

Pezenas tourism information

The historic town of Pezenas is one of the best preserved medieval towns in the South of France. Over 30 buildings in the town are registered as Historical Monuments.

One of the best parts of Pezenas is the old town. Once the refuge or ghetto of Jews, the narrow streets have been brilliantly preserved. Today you will still find small artisans working away and bijou restaurants tucked away in courtyards and alleys.

Pezenas - Molière's town? 

Pezenas has since the late 19th century marketed its brief relationship with the French playwright, Molière. The plays of Molière are held in the same regard by the French, as the English venerate William Shakespeare. There is no doubt that historical records do place Molière in Pezenas between the years 1650 to 1655, but Pezenas is no Stratford-upon-Avon.

It is certainly true that in the mid to late 17th century, Pezenas became the summer home of Armand de Bourbon, Prince de Conti, who was a military commander in the court of King Louis XIV of France. Armand de Bourbon had studied with Molière during their earlier years and he invited Molière to Pezenas in the summer of 1650, along with an entourage of playwrights and artists. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, who went by his stage name of Moliere, was at this time an undiscovered writer. 

There are historical records to show that Molière performed regularly in Pezenas between 1650 and 1655, mainly at the Hôtel d'Alphonse, a beautiful mansion house in the centre of the town. Pezenas was also allegedly the first place where Moliere unveiled his celebrated play "Le Médecin Volant" in 1655.

But, I don't think anyone truly knows how long Moliere actually spent in the town (it varies from from 4 years to 4 summers to a few weeks over a couple of years). But this shouldn't spoil the fact that it demonstrates Pezenas' rich cultural heritage. 

Pezenas was and still is the home to many different craftsmen. It is an important antiques centre and it also hosts many theatre and cinema festivals during the year. The old cinema just behind Rue Jean Jaures is a great place to catch a movie in an old style auditorium and the L'illustre Théâtre de Pézenas, located on a small street off the main Market Street in Pezenas (Cours Jean Jaures), is also a hidden gem. The Theatre's stated aim, is to keep alive the work of Molière.

The local Pezenas tourist office gives a very good guided tour of the town and can explain (in excruciating detail) it's association with Molière.

History of Pezenas France

The town of Pezenas has a long history. The town was originally the site of a Roman fort on the small hill in the centre of the town and reference is made to this by the Roman Chronicler, Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD ). The oldest part of the current town dates back to the 7th Century. 

Pezenas also had a long association with both the Knights Templar dating back to the early 12th and 13th Century. The Church in the centre of Pezenas is located on a street called rue Chevaliers de Saint Jean, (the official name of the Knights Hospitaller is Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem or in French, Les Chevaliers de Saint Jean de Jeruselem). The Church is thought to have been built on the site of the original complex constructed by the Knights Hospitaller in the 12th century. The Knights Hospitaller was a religious order of Knights who worked alongside the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar protected pilgrims on the way to and from Jerusalem and the Knights Hospitaller cared for them when they arrived in the city. 

As with many South French towns, Pezenas had a large Jewish population in the 13th Century, with many Jews emigrating to France from Spain, Portugal and Italy. The Jewish population helped to bring many different traders from other countries. The ghetto is relatively small, comprising just two streets. The street names give a clue to the past, with one named Rue Juiverie, the other Rue des Litanies (which is actually where we first stayed when we came to Pezenas in 2006). The Jews began to be expelled from France during 1394, but Pezenas was one of the last towns to enact the King's proclamation. I would like to think that this was a sign of humanity and defiance, but if I look at how the the French law prohibiting smoking in bars and restaurants is also applied in Pezenas with a degree of restraint, regretfully I suspect it was probably more down to administrative idleness.

Pezenas later rose to prominence in 1456 when it was chosen as the seat of the regional Languedoc parliament and many important families (such as the Montmorency family), set up residences in the town. The period from 1500 to 1700 witnessed the building of the many impressive stone Mansion houses in the town, such as Hotel Carion de Nizas and Hotel d’Alfonse. The entire old town of Pezenas, France, was one of the first town centres in France to be declared a protected historic monument. 

Pezenas has been preserved, because like a lot of historical towns, it was largely bypassed by the developments of the industrial age. It is not entirely clear how Pezenas became such a wealthy town. Obviously, it's association with Prince de Conti and the seat of the Regional government will have helped, but there is no obvious sign (like textiles in Nimes or silk weaving in L'Isle sur la Sorgue). There were a number of important annual fairs held in Pezenas and the surrounding area, but I suspect that it was mainly its location as a regional hub that afforded it such prosperity. 

Pezenas tourism information - restaurants and cuisine

Pezenas has two culinary traditions. The first is the "Berlingot", a hard candy sweet that comes in a variety of flavours. The best place to pick these up is the small sweet shop next-door-but-one to the tourism office.

The second is the "petit pâté de Pézenas". These are bite-sized mince-tarts, based on a recipe of the Indian chef attached to Lord Clive, the English Governor of India. Lord Clive took a summer vacation in Pezenas in 1768 and the small tarts have stayed with the town ever since.

Pezenas is home to some good restaurants (as well as some distinctly average ones. L'Entre Pots is a relaxed, chic restaurant with fabulous food (see L'Entre Pots for more details) This was the 'in' place to go at one point in time, but I hear recently that it has become quite pricey. I have to admit I haven't eaten there for a couple of years, but it was very good when I went. Other restaurants of note include Les Palmiers and Chez Hansi.

Things to do in Pezenas - market & festivals

Pezenas is also a real festival town. In the summer there is always something going on - whether it be an French antiques markets (the town is famous for its brocante shops) or a theatre festival. But the major event of the year is undoubtedly the "Le Poulain" festival, where a mock horse is paraded through the town's streets, followed by much noise and drinking (ses Le Poulain for more details).

Pezenas is also famous for having one of the largest weekly markets in the South of France. The Saturday market takes over the whole town and is well worth a visit. There is also a local organic famers market and during the summer months a weekly wine festival (the Estivale) is held on the main market street. This is highly recommended and you will get the chance to see Pezenas at its best.

Pezenas tourist information office 

Further information about Pezenas can be obtained from the very helpful tourist information office (Pezenas tourist office).

Pezenas accommodation

If you want to stay in or near Pezenas this summer, Go Languedoc has a great selection of Pezenas houses and apartments to rent (see Pezenas villas for more details).

Where to next . . . ?

If you are looking for ideas about what to do and see during your stay in Pezenas, as well as some great places to stay, the following articles will be useful reading:

• We have picked out the 10 best Pezenas villas to rent France in 2024
• Read more about the famous Poulain festival in Pezenas Pezenas festival France
• Read about what makes the Pezenas market in France one of the best markets to visit during your stay

If you would like some more detailed information about renting in Pezenas, France, then just drop us a quick message and we will come straight back to you. I wish you a wonderful stay in the South of France. 

Contact Iain by Email or by phone +33 6 95 00 28 44