Languedoc (sh) and Lipizzaner (sh)

Languedoc (sh)

Historical and cultural region, south-central France.

Languedoc's name is derived from the traditional language of southern France, in which the word oc means "yes" (see Occitan language). From 121 BC the region was part of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis. With the fall of the Roman Empire, it was controlled by the Visigoths in the 5th century. During the Middle Ages it came under the counts of Toulouse. Religious wars (see Albigensian Crusade) in the 13th century brought it under the French crown. From the 16th to 18th centuries Languedoc was the scene of Protestant persecution that culminated in the war of the Camisards. Protestant revolt led to its division into departments.

Lipizzaner (sh)

or Lippizaner

Breed of light horse named for the Austrian imperial stud at Lipizza, near Trieste, formerly part of Austria-Hungary.

The founding of the breed, which has six strains, dates to 1580. Lipizzaners have a long back and a short, thick neck, average 15-16 hands (about 60-64 in., or 152-164 cm) in height and 1,000-1,300 lbs (450-585 kg) in weight, and are usually gray. Some are found in countries that were originally part of Austria-Hungary; a few have been exported to the U.S. The best known are those trained at Vienna's Spanish Riding School.

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