Marseillan, Hérault

Marseillan is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.It lies some 50km west of Montpellier.Marseillan sits on a large lagoon, the Étang de Thau, and is the southern entreport for the Canal du Midi.The centre of the village lies within the lines of the old walls. There is a hotel and a number of cafes and restaurants. Marseillan Plage is a purpose-built holiday resort on the Mediterranean, some 3km from Marseillan Ville.The port is a protected heritage site, and the altar and organ in the church are also listed. There has been virtually no new building in the heart of the village since the 17th century, and many of the houses date from the twelfth century.Until 1970 the vineyards came to the main boulevards built outside the line of the walls around 1870. Since then the population has grown from around 3,000 throughout the last 200 years to over 10,000 in 2010. This does not include those who have bought houses and villas in Marseillan but use them only as holiday homes. Expectation is that the population will top 14,000 by 2015.HistoryThere is dispute as to who exactly founded the village. Marseille claims that honour, understandable because of the two names. But both names are derived from the Greco/Phoenician Massaliotes who extended trading routes from the eastern Mediterranean.The Massaliotes certainly founded Marseille around 600 BC and, shortly after, Agde. Thus Agde is the second oldest town in France. But who founded Marseillan? As Agde is only 8km it seems most likely that the Agatois were the founders. Either way the origins of all three places lie with the Greco/Phoenicians. And, either way, Marseillan is one of the oldest villages in France.