Reconstruction of the mill XVIIe siècle (≈ 1750)
Built in the style of the era.
3 avril 1935
First entry MH
First entry MH 3 avril 1935 (≈ 1935)
Protection of both buildings.
5 septembre 2018
Second entry MH
Second entry MH 5 septembre 2018 (≈ 2018)
Extension to the entire hydraulic site.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Moulin de Roquemengarde composed of two bodies of buildings: inscription by decree of 3 April 1935; In total, the ensemble formed by the mill of Roquemengarde at Saint-Pons-de Mauchiens comprising the towers (ad 238 parks), the so-called Roquemengarde threshold dam (ad 271 park), the hydraulic installations (ad 1 park) and the house (ad 3 park); and at Usclas-d'Herault the so-called Roquemengarde threshold dam (ad 490 park), excluding the fish pass, according to the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by decree of 5 September 2018.
Key figures
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Origin and history
The Roquemengarde Mill, located in Saint-Pons-de-Mauchiens in the Hérault, is a historic monument dating back at least to the seventeenth century. It consists of two distinct building bodies: one built near the left bank of the river, the other built in the middle of the river. These two structures are connected by a submersible stone road, characteristic of the hydraulic installations of the period. Although rebuilt in the 17th century in a typical style of this period, the foundations of the mill reveal an ancient apparatus, probably of Gallo-Roman origin, attesting to an occupation and exploitation of the site long before.
The mill has been the subject of successive protections under the Historical Monuments. A first entry by order of 3 April 1935 concerns the two main buildings. A second, broader protection took place on 5 September 2018: it covers the entire site, including the towers, the so-called Roquemengarde threshold dam (expanding to the neighbouring town of Usclas-d'Hérault), the hydraulic installations, as well as the adjoining house. These measures highlight the heritage importance of the site, both for its architecture and for its historic hydraulic system.
Mills like Roquemengarde played a central role in the 17th century local economy in Occitanie. They allowed for the processing of cereals, a food base, and were often gathering points for rural communities. Their installation on the watercourses reflected an advanced mastery of hydraulic techniques, sometimes inherited from much older periods, as evidenced by the Gallo-Roman foundations of this site. Such infrastructure was essential for the daily life and economic development of the surrounding villages.
