First mention of the fief 1100 (≈ 1100)
Fief seigneurial vassal of Pézenas quoted.
Fin du XIIIe siècle
First written statements
First written statements Fin du XIIIe siècle (≈ 1395)
Documentary evidence of the existing mill.
XVe siècle
Connection to Pézenas
Connection to Pézenas XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Conas permanently integrated into the city.
1728
Redevelopment work
Redevelopment work 1728 (≈ 1728)
Date entered on the mill's bottom.
1791
Sale as a national good
Sale as a national good 1791 (≈ 1791)
Confiscated during the French Revolution.
2012
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 2012 (≈ 2012)
Official protection of the mill in full.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The mill in full (Box AP 227): registration by order of 25 April 2012
Origin and history
The Conas Mill, located near Pézenas, is a seigneurial vassal fief of the city mentioned from 1100. Its origins may date back to the 12th century, but the first written traces date back to the end of the 13th century. This grain mill, located near the Hérault, enjoyed a strategic position for medieval milling. Conas was permanently attached to Pézenas in the 15th century, consolidating its local economic role.
The current structure results from several construction campaigns, with medieval bases dating from the 14th or 15th centuries. The mill consists of two oblong towers in shell limestone, reinforced by an downstream spur. The west entrance, protected by arch machicoulis, bears witness to its defensive character. Later changes between the 16th and 17th centuries altered its appearance, as indicated by the date of 1728 engraved on the assemblage, probably linked to redevelopments.
In 1791, the mill was sold as a national good during the French Revolution. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was converted into an irrigation system with turbine and pump, illustrating its adaptation to modern agricultural needs. The south façade, partially raised, and successive additions reflect this functional evolution. Today, the mill, registered with the Historical Monuments since 2012, belongs to a private company and retains tangible traces of its milling and seigneurial past.
