Located in the south of France, Montpellier is
the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The city is situated
about 10km inland, 52 km from Nîmes, 168 km from Marseilles,
248 km from Toulouse. It is at a distance of 750 km from Paris.
Montpellier is one of the few large cities in France without a Roman
heritage. Founded by the Counts of Tolouse, it was first mentioned in
985 and had become a prosperous city with trading links all over the
Mediterranean by medieval times.
At the time of the Reformation in the 1500s, many of
the inhabitants of Montpellier became Protestants and the city became
a stronghold of Protestant resistance to the Catholic French crown. In
1622, King Louis XIII besieged the city and took it after eight
months, building the
Citadel of Montpellier to secure it.
Louis XIV made Montpellier capital of Bas Languedoc, and the town
started to embellish itself, by building the Promenade du Peyrou,
the Esplanade and a large number of houses in the historic centre.
After the French Revolution, the city became the capital of the much
smaller
Hérault.
During the 19th century the city developed into an industrial centre.
In the 1960s, its population grew dramatically after French settlers
in Algeria were resettled in the city following Algeria's independence
from France. In the 1980s and 1990s, the city drew attention with a
number of major redevelopment projects, such as
Le Corum and especially the
Antigone District.
Montpellier’s scholastic tradition began in
the 12th century where Europe’s first medical school was
established. The
University of Montpellier is one of the
oldest universities in the world.
More information on Montpellier’s
attractions, places to eat and local activities can be found on the
Montpellier
Tourist Office website.
