What Is The Oldest City In France

What Is The Oldest City In France – Its foundation dates back to the Iron Age. The oldest city of the territory is Beziers (Herault), built by the Greeks in the sixth century BC, just a few years before Marseille.

Settlers from Athens, Sparta or Ephesus had settled on an acropolis and quickly urbanized the city, which stretched over forty hectares (against 9 500 hectares currently). Previously, local people were scattered in separated villages.

Béziers is today in the network of the oldest cities in Europe, which includes ten including Argos (Greece), Cadiz (Spain) or Evora (Portugal). As for Paris (formerly Lutetia) and Lyon (Lugdunum), they were both founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC. J. – C., on the bases of groupings of Gallic villages.

What Is The Oldest City In France

“Béziers is now the oldest city in France”

This title could be given as a result of archaeological excavations in the center of the city built on a promontory. Béziers is thus even older of Marseille, 600 BC, two defensive ditches and a cistern dating from – 625 having been discovered.

This new title is a pride for the Biterrois and for their mayor Robert Ménard who sees it as an asset of communication. Data from archaeological excavations were on display until Friday, May 11, 2019, in the lobby of City Hall.

The archaeological excavations of Saint-Jacques confirm the seniority. The urban phenomenon was exhibited in Béziers between -640 and -625.

According to Elian Gomez, doctor of archeology, researcher and head of the archaeological department of the city, recent discoveries and studies of previous excavations of the display that Béziers became the oldest in France.

“Until one discovers better, but in my opinion, there are a few chances. This urban phenomenon is completely foreign to the civilizations of Western Europe and for us as well…

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