The village was elevated from hamlet to commune by a royal ordinance of September 25, 1834, following the increase in population driven by the development of coal mining in the Cevennes basin. The town, Les Mages belongs to the Community of Communes called "Vivre en Cévennes", Living in the Cevennes.
Sights
Several mills whose buildings still bear witness to the sericulture past activity.
Lacroix spinning, closed in 1855, Bois Redon, Route de Saint Julien de Cassagne.
Duclaux spinning, closed in 1889, Melhien Castle.
Mazolier spinning, closed in 1884 Castle Melhien Road.
Labeille / Villaret spinning, closed in 1885, despite some attempts to restart until 1922, Larnac hamlet.
Silhol spinning, closed in 1855, Claux, Melhien hamlet.
Martin spinning later oil mill Benoit then Rodier, at last, route de Saint Ambroix.
Ayrolette spinning, initially the Gentil paper mill, established in 1660, in the Ayrolette hamlet, route de Saint Ambroix.
Blachere spinning, formerly oil mill and later Védrines spinning.
The glass factory Barriere was founded in 1804 to manufacture green glass. After many difficulties, the factory closed its doors in 1850. On a hill, the "Tourette" dominates the village. It is a simple capitelle limestone and mortar construction, but became the symbol of the village and a replica was built on the roundabout at the entrance of the commune. The former railway station, on the spur of the small SNCF line from Alès to Bessèges, has been transformed into housing. It witnessed the passing-by of coal trains from Martinet, Saint-Florent-sur-Auzonnet and Saint-Jean-de-Valériscle, joining the main line to Saint Julien de Cassagne. This line was also used to transport the coils of raw silk to Lyon to be woven.
Population
Personalities
The painter Georges Bauquier, assistant of Fernand Léger, creator of Fernand Léger Museum in Biot, comes from a Les Mages family. In the 1970s he organised in the local village school several exhibitions of high quality. At his request, Nadia Léger, the widow of Fernand Léger, has bequeathed to the town the Woman with a Bird mosaïc, one of Fernand Léger mosaic that adorns the front of the Les Mages Culture Complex.
George Bauquier Complex
In 2006 the Georges Bauquier complex was created, including a theater and a video screening room. In 2008 the travel film festival has been launched and successfully renewed in 2009.
