Saint-Pons-de-Thomières - circuit patrimoine

The Jaur river source that sprung in a mountain amphitheatre encouraged people from the 2nd millenium BC, to go down in the valley and settle on the right bank of the Jaur river, and that is how Thomière was born.  In 936, the Earl Raymont III from Toulouse and his wife, founded the St Pons Abbey, on the left bank of the Jaur river in memory of martyr Pons de Cimiez. A first core of housing area developped around the abbey and the city of Saint Pons appeared. The two cities then got their own fortifications, and we will then diferentiate them with Saint Pons « La ville mage » (the important / great city) and Thomières « La ville moindre » (the lesser city). It is only during the 17th century that the two cities merged to create the new town of Saint Pons de Thomières. There was a thriving economy on both cities, in a frist time due to the sheets business, and then with the textile factories. The economical decline started at the end of the 19th century with the closing of the textile factories little by little. Today, Saint-Pons de Thomière knows a revival with the reopenning of an old marble quarry, that reprensents today the city.