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When muscat kept the town going…
Frontignan enjoyed the golden age of muscat throughout the 19th century. The most beautiful houses in the town date back to this period. It was also the industrialisation era with the building of the sulphur factory or the oil refinery.
As legend would have it the twisted shape of the Muscat bottle came from Hercules. During a visit to the region, the god bent a bottle to taste its last drop giving it its particular shape, which is known worldwide. Lovely.
On a more serious note, the production of Muscat reached astounding figures in the 19th century, which is closer to the present-day than the ancient times of Greek Gods. In the same way as all the plain of the Languedoc, Frontignan saw its wine-growing industry develop to such an extent that it became the commune’s principal activity. Wealthy distinguished people and merchants from Sète created large estates from the former small farms. They produced wine, brandy and muscat, which were exported via Sète to America and throughout Europe.
It began to be distributed in France from 1839 and the arrival of railway lines. The town grew larger and La Peyrade, which was a hamlet at the time, began its urban development. Between 1821 and 1872, the population of Frontignan increased twofold whereas the vineyard continued to expand onto agricultural land. Muscat production expanded to such an extent that it gave rise to the creation of the Cooperative Company for the sale of natural Muscats (Société coopérative de vente de muscats naturels).
In 1827, the town had 385 buildings. There were, among others, an oil mill, a brandy factory and four bread ovens. The rich owners, like Argelliers or Lapierre (the latter owning a distillery) bought the most beautiful houses in the village, which were mainly located around the Town Hall square. But it was particularly from 1860 onwards that the increase in the number of inhabitants led to mass building of residential housing, inside the old village but also elsewhere creating new districts.
Wine-growers built houses with decorated façades which were in line with owner’s social standing. They were ranked according to the degree of wealth of its inhabitants. On Boulevard Victor-Hugo, two-floored houses were built which had sober façades. They corresponded to the dwellings of average owners. Three-floored mansions, with three or four bays and a more conspicuous façade were built on boulevard de la République. They represented in a certain way the replica of the agricultural estate castles which belonged to wealthy merchants. As far as boulevard Gambetta is concerned, the villas that line the road date back to the 20th century. In line with the general mood of change, the Town Hall was rebuilt.
An extract from "Exposition sur les mairies des chefs-lieux de cantons de l’Hérault" (Exposition of the town halls of the principal towns of the constituencies of the Hérault department) by C. Ferras indicates that the Parisian model became a national theme. Here is the extract: In 1895, the former Town Hall was pulled down, the alignment of the Castle square was corrected and two new roads were opened to provide the new construction with an urban surrounding that was worthy of a public building under the Third Republic. The "Ile de France" style chosen by the town councillors was that of a good number of buildings built practically everywhere at that time. Moreover, the main façade is practically a perfect replica – with a few more decorative elements – of that of the Town Hall of the 11th administrative district of Paris".
Frontignan’s booming economy was not merely due to the Muscat. Industrial sites were built in the 19th century and at the beinning of the 20th century. La Compagnie Bordelaise de Produits Chimiques (the Chemical Products Company of Bordeaux) was formed in 1892 and the sulphur factory at the Pielles was constructed in 1914. Another major construction in 1904 was the refinery of the Compagnie Industrielle des Pétroles (the Oil Industrial Company) on the edge of the Ingril canal which closed down in 1986. Then came the Lafarge cement company. All these activities led to a high rise in population and improvements were carried out on the town centre which became what we know it today. But created on the outskirts of the town the industrial site that some people regret. Not those who found work though.
