Pezenas

Pezenas was the seat of the estates of Languedoc, which brought nobles and their money, and the old town filled with hotels particuliers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, courtyards with open stairs behind plain doors. Moliere's troupe played here repeatedly between 1650 and 1656 under the patronage of the Prince de Conti, and the town has traded on the connection ever since. When the estates moved away, Pezenas declined and stopped rebuilding, which preserved the fabric. Since the 1970s craft workshops have filled the ground floors. The petit pate de Pezenas, a sweet-savoury mutton pastry, is said to derive from a recipe left by an Indian cook.

What you actually see

• The mansion courtyards - Renaissance stairs and galleries behind street doors.
• The Moliere connections - the theatre history the town keeps alive.
• The craft workshops - artisans occupying old ground-floor spaces.
• The petit pate - a sweet and savoury mutton pastry sold locally.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the Saturday market is good and summer brings a Moliere-themed festival. Many workshops close on Sundays and Mondays.

Honest expectations

Most private courtyards are visible only through open doors or on guided tours. Workshop quality varies widely. The town is quiet outside market days.

Nearby

Beziers lies southwest; Sete is east.