# Capestang

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Commune in Occitania, France

Capestang Commune Collegiate Church Coat of arms Location of Capestang Capestang Show map of France Capestang Show map of Occitanie Coordinates: 43°19′47″N 3°02′43″E / 43.3297°N 3.0453°E / 43.3297; 3.0453 Country France Region Occitania Department Hérault Arrondissement Béziers Canton Saint-Pons-de-Thomières Government • Mayor (2020–2026) Pierre Polard[1] Area 1 39.56 km2 (15.27 sq mi) Population (2023)[2] 3,514 • Density 88.83/km2 (230.1/sq mi) Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST) INSEE/Postal code 34052 /34310 Elevation 0–120 m (0–394 ft) (avg. 12 m or 39 ft) 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

**Capestang** (French pronunciation: [\[kapɛstɑ̃\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/French); [Occitan](/source/Occitan_language): *Cabestanh*) is a [commune](/source/Communes_of_France) in the [Hérault](/source/H%C3%A9rault) [department](/source/Departments_of_France) in southern France.

## History

In [antiquity](/source/Ancient_history), the nearby marshes were crossed by the 1500-metre-long [Roman](/source/Ancient_Rome) [Pont Serme](/source/Pont_Serme).[3] The bridge carried the [Via Domitia](/source/Via_Domitia) as it neared [Narbonne](/source/Narbonne) on its southward strategic journey to Spain. The town's name derives from [Latin](/source/Latin_language): *[caput](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/caput#Latin) [stagnum](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stagnum#Latin)* - referring to the fact that the town sat at the head of a large **[étang](/source/Lagoon)** (a large natural saline and shallow lake - very common in the area and the source of wealth and sustenance - salt, fish, game birds).

The Archbishops of Narbonne built their summer residence in the town - substantial vestiges remain, especially of the palace wherein a 15th-century ceiling - and there is an impressive collegiate church (12th to 15th centuries with earlier vestiges) whose massive tower dominates the surrounding countryside to this day.

The [canal du Midi](/source/Canal_du_Midi) also passes just to the north of the town as it winds its way from the [Aude](/source/Aude_(river)) into the [Hérault](/source/H%C3%A9rault_(river)).

The crusading armies passed the town after the sack of [Béziers](/source/B%C3%A9ziers) in 1209 *en route* for [Carcassonne](/source/Carcassonne) - and in 1356 [Edward the Black Prince](/source/Edward_the_Black_Prince) reached the eastern extreme of his extensive *[chevauchée](/source/Black_Prince's_chevauch%C3%A9e_of_1356)*, having raised the short siege of Narbonne, where he burned the bourg, and having allowed his troops to damage the neighbouring village of [Ouveillan](/source/Ouveillan). Capestang, like [Cuxac-d'Aude](/source/Cuxac-d'Aude) and other villages, may have paid to be spared the fate of Ouveillan - or it may have had more robust defences or have been saved by intelligence of the impending arrival of a large army coming from [Beaucaire](/source/Beaucaire%2C_Gard).

There is a plaque in the square to resistance hostages shot by the [SS](/source/Schutzstaffel) on 9 August, 1944, three days after [D-Day](/source/Normandy_landings).

## Population

‹ The [template](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Template) *[Historical populations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Historical_populations)* is being [considered for merging](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Templates_for_discussion/Log/2026_June_24#Template:Infobox_demographics). ›

Historical population Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 1,150 — 1800 1,185 +0.43% 1806 1,360 +2.32% 1821 1,530 +0.79% 1831 1,624 +0.60% 1836 1,893 +3.11% 1841 1,933 +0.42% 1846 2,039 +1.07% 1851 2,135 +0.92% 1856 2,331 +1.77% 1861 2,746 +3.33% 1866 2,999 +1.78% 1872 2,909 −0.51% 1876 3,176 +2.22% 1881 3,737 +3.31% 1886 3,519 −1.19% 1891 4,076 +2.98% 1896 4,168 +0.45% 1901 4,187 +0.09% Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1906 4,012 −0.85% 1911 4,010 −0.01% 1921 4,053 +0.11% 1926 4,028 −0.12% 1931 4,039 +0.05% 1936 3,541 −2.60% 1946 2,962 −1.77% 1954 2,763 −0.87% 1962 3,019 +1.11% 1968 3,014 −0.03% 1975 2,548 −2.37% 1982 2,675 +0.70% 1990 2,903 +1.03% 1999 3,007 +0.39% 2007 3,010 +0.01% 2012 3,111 +0.66% 2017 3,233 +0.77% 2023 3,514 +1.40% Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968–2023)[5]

## See also

- [Communes of the Hérault department](/source/Communes_of_the_H%C3%A9rault_department)

- [Capestang bridge](/source/Capestang_bridge)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Répertoire national des élus: les maires"](https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503). *data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises* (in French). 2 December 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Populations de référence 2023"](https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8643952?geo=COM-34052) (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Colin O’Connor: Roman Bridges, Cambridge University Press 1993, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-521-39326-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-39326-4), p. 99

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ehess_4-0)** *Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui*: [Commune data sheet Capestang](http://cassini.ehess.fr/fr/html/fiche.php?select_resultat=6877), [EHESS](/source/School_for_Advanced_Studies_in_the_Social_Sciences) (in French).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-pophist_5-0)** [Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023](https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8643952?geo=COM-34052#tableau-POPREF_G1), INSEE

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Capestang](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Capestang).

v t e Communes of the Hérault department of France Abeilhan Adissan Agde Agel Agonès Aigne Aigues-Vives Les Aires Alignan-du-Vent Aniane Arboras Argelliers Aspiran Assas Assignan Aumelas Aumes Autignac Avène Azillanet Babeau-Bouldoux Baillargues Balaruc-les-Bains Balaruc-le-Vieux Bassan Beaufort Beaulieu Bédarieux Bélarga Berlou Bessan Bézierssubpr Boisseron Boisset La Boissière Le Bosc Boujan-sur-Libron Le Bousquet-d'Orb Bouzigues Brenas Brignac Brissac Buzignargues Cabrerolles Cabrières Cambon-et-Salvergues Campagnan Campagne Camplong Candillargues Canet Capestang Carlencas-et-Levas Cassagnoles Castanet-le-Haut Castelnau-de-Guers Castelnau-le-Lez Castries La Caunette Causse-de-la-Selle Causses-et-Veyran Caussiniojouls Caux Le Caylar Cazedarnes Cazevieille Cazilhac Cazouls-d'Hérault Cazouls-lès-Béziers Cébazan Ceilhes-et-Rocozels Celles Cers Cessenon-sur-Orb Cesseras Ceyras Clapiers Claret Clermont-l'Hérault Colombières-sur-Orb Colombiers Combaillaux Combes Corneilhan Coulobres Courniou Cournonsec Cournonterral Creissan Le Crès Le Cros Cruzy Entre-Vignes Espondeilhan Fabrègues Faugères Félines-Minervois Ferrals-les-Montagnes Ferrières-les-Verreries Ferrières-Poussarou Florensac Fontanès Fontès Fos Fouzilhon Fozières Fraisse-sur-Agout Frontignan Gabian Galargues Ganges Garrigues Gigean Gignac Gorniès Grabels Graissessac La Grande-Motte Guzargues Hérépian Jacou Joncels Jonquières Juvignac Lacoste Lagamas Lamalou-les-Bains Lansargues Laroque Lattes Laurens Lauret Lauroux Lavalette Lavérune Lespignan Lézignan-la-Cèbe Liausson Lieuran-Cabrières Lieuran-lès-Béziers Lignan-sur-Orb La Livinière Lodèvesubpr Loupian Lunas-les-Châteaux Lunel Lunel-Viel Magalas Maraussan Margon Marseillan Marsillargues Mas-de-Londres Les Matelles Mauguio Maureilhan Mérifons Mèze Minerve Mireval Mons Montady Montagnac Montarnaud Montaud Montbazin Montblanc Montels Montesquieu Montferrier-sur-Lez Montouliers Montoulieu Montpellierpref Montpeyroux Moulès-et-Baucels Mourèze Mudaison Murles Murviel-lès-Béziers Murviel-lès-Montpellier Nébian Neffiès Nézignan-l'Évêque Nissan-lez-Enserune Nizas Notre-Dame-de-Londres Octon Olargues Olmet-et-Villecun Olonzac Oupia Pailhès Palavas-les-Flots Pardailhan Paulhan Pégairolles-de-Buèges Pégairolles-de-l'Escalette Péret Pérols Pézenas Pézènes-les-Mines Pierrerue Pignan Pinet Plaissan Les Plans Poilhes Pomérols Popian Portiragnes Le Pouget Poujols Le Poujol-sur-Orb Poussan Pouzolles Pouzols Le Pradal Prades-le-Lez Prades-sur-Vernazobre Prémian Le Puech Puéchabon Puilacher Puimisson Puissalicon Puisserguier Quarante Restinclières Rieussec Riols Les Rives Romiguières Roquebrun Roqueredonde Roquessels Rosis Rouet Roujan Saint-André-de-Buèges Saint-André-de-Sangonis Saint-Aunès Saint-Bauzille-de-la-Sylve Saint-Bauzille-de-Montmel Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois Saint-Brès Saint-Chinian Saint-Clément-de-Rivière Saint-Drézéry Sainte-Croix-de-Quintillargues Saint-Étienne-d'Albagnan Saint-Étienne-de-Gourgas Saint-Étienne-Estréchoux Saint-Félix-de-l'Héras Saint-Félix-de-Lodez Saint-Gély-du-Fesc Saint-Geniès-de-Fontedit Saint-Geniès-des-Mourgues Saint-Geniès-de-Varensal Saint-Georges-d'Orques Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert Saint-Guiraud Saint-Hilaire-de-Beauvoir Saint-Jean-de-Buèges Saint-Jean-de-Cornies Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles Saint-Jean-de-Fos Saint-Jean-de-la-Blaquière Saint-Jean-de-Minervois Saint-Jean-de-Védas Saint-Julien Saint-Just Saint-Martin-de-l'Arçon Saint-Martin-de-Londres Saint-Mathieu-de-Tréviers Saint-Maurice-Navacelles Saint-Michel Saint-Nazaire-de-Ladarez Saint-Nazaire-de-Pézan Saint-Pargoire Saint-Paul-et-Valmalle Saint-Pierre-de-la-Fage Saint-Pons-de-Mauchiens Saint-Pons-de-Thomières Saint-Privat Saint-Saturnin-de-Lucian Saint-Sériès Saint-Thibéry Saint-Vincent-de-Barbeyrargues Saint-Vincent-d'Olargues Salasc La Salvetat-sur-Agout Saturargues Saussan Saussines Sauteyrargues Sauvian Sérignan Servian Sète Siran Sorbs Soubès Le Soulié Soumont Sussargues Taussac-la-Billière Teyran Thézan-lès-Béziers Tourbes La Tour-sur-Orb Tressan Le Triadou Usclas-d'Hérault Usclas-du-Bosc La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries Vacquières Vailhan Vailhauquès Valergues Valflaunès Valmascle Valras-Plage Valros Vélieux Vendargues Vendémian Vendres Verreries-de-Moussans Vias Vic-la-Gardiole Vieussan Villemagne-l'Argentière Villeneuve-lès-Béziers Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone Villeneuvette Villespassans Villetelle Villeveyrac Viols-en-Laval Viols-le-Fort pref: prefecture subpr: subprefecture

Authority control databases International VIAF GND National France BnF data

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