Vias was mentioned for the first time in 899, in the Agde bishropic charter : the fief of Vias was initially an ancient Gallo-Roman villa originating from the Roman colonisation of the local region. However, the occupation of the territory goes back way further : traces of prehistoric life (2,000 years B.C.) were found on the hillsides of the dormant Roque-Haute volcano, and also accounts were made of the presence in 600 B.C. of Greek navigators.
Discover the architectural and historical heritage of Vias, especially the many doors from the 17th century, by following the circuit on foot designed to take you through the heart of the town. The departure point is situated on the square in front of the Saint Jean Baptiste church.
The market : The edifice was finished in 1830 during the mayorship of François Rascas de Palignan. Eight semicircular arches are joinig the columns.
The former town hall, with its square belfry, was built in 1870. Its double staircase, the door and window frames are all in black volcanic stone.
House was once the home of the bishops of Agde and it is the oldest building still intact in vias (XIIth to XVIth centuries). The windows of the first floor are mullioned, the facade is made of volcanic rock and the sculpted parts of Bréginnes stone.
"Le Grifol" (a word in the langue d'Oc meaning fountain is an octogonal basin with, at its centre, a four-cornered obelisk, almost 3 metres high, crowned by a rooster. The fountain is made entirely of volcanic rock. The date of its construction in unknown. It was restored in 1820.
