St Cyprien official website

THE ROMAN ERA
In 118 BC appear the first traces of Saint-Cyprien on the site of “Villa Salix”, in the middle of swamps and willows, near Saint-Cyprien which was used as an annex to the ancient port of Illiberis (which became Helena in the 4th century under Emperor Constantine, and Elne later on). The presence of a Roman connecting road confirms the existence of commercial trade between both villages. In the 6th century, Elne became the See of the regional diocese.
In 915 the name Saint Cyprien appeared for the first time, after Saint Cyprien the holy martyr and bishop of Carthage. The village was associated with the name “Vilarasa”, and thereafter, in 928, the chapel “Vilarasa” was dedicated to Saint-Etienne.

THE MIDDLE AGES
The village was growing and a church was built in the 13th century. Around 1385 it had an estimated population of 350 inhabitants whilst Elne had approximately 2,000 inhabitants.
As the lands were exposed to flooding, a network of irrigation canals and aqueducts was created to protect the village. The canals designed to channel any water to the sea, known as the “Aygals”, are at a lower water level than the lagoon, and therefore required regular maintenance.
Farming turned to livestock raising (cattle grazing in meadows) and the cultivation of cereal crops, while sea trade and fishing provided a secondary source of income.

IN 1891
Saint Cyprien had 845 inhabitants, of which 160 were children. It was in 1898 that a town hall, schools and offices were planned to be constructed.
The lands of the “Aygal” were divided into croplands, and in 1897, crop farming took precedence over livestock raising.

IN 1926
The population grew to 1,154 inhabitants, who mainly lived around the old village, although there were two small coastal villages called “Las Routas” and “l’Aygual”, which were destroyed during World War II.

IN 1947
In order to rehouse the families of fishermen, the Ministry of Reconstruction decided to build a housing development of 78 houses using public funds. It was the beginning of a prosperous era for Saint-Cyprien, and the development of a second housing development soon followed in 1954 when the population of St.Cyprien was 1,441, and the excellent idea of constructing a seaside village came to life.