Revue Etudes Héraultaises
2016 n° 47

Native of the Languedoc, Jean Nougaret pursued his career in l’Inventaire Général (France’s National Inventory of Cultural Heritage/Historic Monuments) following university work on Pézenas and the painter Alexandre Cabanel from Montpellier. For forty years, via different organizations and association structures, he endeavoured to list and spread knowledge of the Hérault area, specifically with regard to its history, archeology and art history plus many other heritage items.

His numerous conferences and publications are witness to a continued interest in subjects that he valued. Firstly in Pézenas and then in Montpellier, he participated in settingup a bulletin dedicated to studies of Pézenas and its local area, which became with time the current review Études héraultaises. He was its president and tireless leader, to whom we only gave a too brief homage shortly after his death.

The authors in this particular review pay tribute to Jean Nougaret and to his interests and activities. His consistency as an in-depth researcher has been previously mentioned : “his constant drive was to work only within a limited perimeter, covering a precise era and on specific subjects”. He was a man open to listening to others and his many friends were appreciative of this.

Aquel Lengadocian faguèt carrièra al Servici del Inventari aprèp de recèrcas universitàrias sus Pesenás e lo pintre Alexandre Cabanèl, Montpelhierenc d’origina. Quaranta ans de temps, dins tot un fum d’estructuras e d’associacions, s’apassionèt de recensar e de difusar las coneissenças sus Erau e sa region, per melhor dire en istòria, arqueologia e istòria de las arts, sens oblidar mants aspèctes del patrimoni.

Sas conferéncias nombrosas, tant coma sas publicacions, fan pròva d’un interès rigorós dins los domenis que li èran agradius. A Pesenás, puòi a Montpelhièr, foguèt un de los capmèstres dins la realizacion d’un bulletin vodat als estudis sus Pesenás e sa region, que venguèt, seguent lo pas de son evolucion, l’actuala revista Études héraultaises. Ne foguèt longtemps lo president e son animador inlassable per lo qual un omenatge mai que brèu li foguèt rendut aprèp sa disparicion.

Los autors amassats dins aquel numeró de la revista, per li porgir un omenatge cadun son torn, portan testimoniatge de sas tòcas. La sieuna coërencia de cercaire rigorós foguèt soslinhada per avant : « volontat constanta d’obrar son que sus qualques espacis plan balisats, qualques epòcas plan termejadas e qualques tèmas plan definits ». L’òme sabiá èsser atentiu als autres e sos nombroses amics li devián aquela reconeissença