Lunel-Viel
Since Gallo-Roman times
Its most important remains date from the 1st century AD...
Un circuit historique
A stroll through the village invites you to discover :
The foundations of the Roman baths (near the nursery school),
The château (now the town hall)
Its superb Napoleon III-style Orangerie in a listed park with rare species.
Le néandertal... aussi !
The oldest jewel in Lunell's heritage is also the most mysterious: the remains left by Paleolithic animals and men in the Mas des Caves cave (closed to the public).
Neanderthals were the first inhabitants of the area, settling here 500,000 years ago.
Lunel-Viel's vineyards are located on the emerging hillsides and produce not only Muscat de Lunel but also top-quality vins de pays.
Brochure: Discover Lunel-Viel
Every year the festival :
"Un Piano sous les arbres" is held in the park on the last weekend in August.
unpianosouslesarbres.com
The Tower Farges estate
Two km from the village center, towards Saint Geniez des Mourgues
The estate was named after Jacques de Farges, a 16th-century apothecary and perfumer.
All that remains of the former estate are two towers, one of which was a dovecote.
The third, built in the 19th century, is a Chappe telegraph tower.
Since the end of the 18th century, the Tour de Farges has belonged to the Sabatier d'Espeyran family: François Sabatier (1818/1891), a man of letters and art lover, met the famous Viennese singer Caroline Ungher in Florence (chosen by Beethoven for the premiere of the 9th Symphony, and also performer of "The Marriage of Figaro", "Don Juan" and "The Barber of Seville").
Married on March 18, 1841, they lived in Florence (via Renai) and Dresden, and entertained at La Tour de Farges, where they shared a tender, romantic love.
A lover of painting, François had many artist friends: Devéria, Papety, a pupil of Ingres, Ricard and Courbet, who painted a "Vue de la Tour de Farges" during his stay in 1857, all stayed at the estate, drawing their inspiration from the contact with nature and the luminosity of the Languedoc landscapes.
Caroline Ungher, who left the stage at the height of her fame for love, welcomed opera singers with her husband, who came to listen to her advice and share a few moments of a capella singing.
The Tower Farges gradually became a salon for international culture and song, an academy for romantic painting, and a place where wit and taste spread far and wide: Jules Michelet and Karl Marx were also François Sabatier's guests. Today, La Tour de Farges is a winegrowing estate on one of the oldest vineyards in the Muscat de Lunel appellation.
Official Town Hall website: www.ville-lunelviel.fr