Villemagne-l'Argentière (French pronunciation: [vilmaɲ laʁʒɑ̃tjɛʁ]; Occitan: Vilamanha, before 1989: Villemagne)[3] is a commune near Bédarieux in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France.

[4] At the end of the 7th century, the first monastery was founded by Clarinus Lubila, a monk of the order of Saint Benedict from Monte Cassino.

This monastery was situated at the northwestern edge of the village and consisted initially of a chapel, a novicial, a refectory and kitchen, an infirmary and a hospice for the poor and for travellers.

In the 9th century, the name of Villemagna (big domain) appears for the first time, in the Synods of Aachen (816–819) among nineteen monasteries in Septimania which were required to furnish the Emperor neither with presents nor soldiers, but only prayers.

From then on, the pilgrims flooded into Villemagne, being situated not far from the road from Arles to Santiago de Compostela, there to worship St Majan's relics, reputed for their intercessions in favour of the blind and the lame, in particular.

In 1156, Louis VII of France authorized the Abbot of Villemagne to fortify the abbey and to surround the town with ditches protected by high towers.

These mines contributed greatly to the fortune and to the reputation of Villemagne and thus the suffix: Argentière was added to the name of the town.

At this time, there were a dozen monks in residence, in a still prosperous monastery, with several dependent churches, Saint Raphaël, la Bastide, Soumatre and St. Pierre-de Brousson.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the leaders of Villemagne asked the States of Languedoc and the king for financial assistance following numerous natural disasters: frozen olive trees in 1714, floods in 1741 and 1742 and especially in 1745.

The 19th century was again marked by devastating floods of the Mare, notably in 1818, 1840 and 1871, which led to the excavation of the river bed and the raising of the floor level in the church of St Majan, as well as the building of the protective dyke which was extended in 1844 and 1954.