Cassan Priory

The Augustinian priory was founded in 1080, on land donated by the noble Alquier family of Béziers A new church was consecrated on 6 October 1115.

Numerous relics were collected by the priory and it served as a burial ground to the nobility of the region.

[1] Pope Innocent III in the context of the crusade against the Cathars exempted the priory from control by the bishops of Béziers, making it subject only to the Holy See in spiritual matters.

[2] It changed hands several times during the 19th and 20th centuries, eventually passing to the French state, housing administrative offices, but in 1995 was sold again to a private party, and in 2002 to a real estate holding company.

The priory church and the western wing of the castle were classed as a national historical monument in 1953.