Montcuq
Encyclopedia
Montcuq is a commune
in the Lot department in south-western France
.
Lying 25 km outside of Cahors
, its residents are known as Montcuqois.
The town remains vibrant and a popular tourist destination. It still has a rich agricultural industry, and is known for its manufacture of meringue
s and gaufres de Saint Daumes waffle
s.
The town's name could derives from the Latin Mont Circus Vallium, Mont Cuneus or montem cuci, meaning "cuckoo mountain".
A stronghold of the Cathars, Montcuq received its charter from Raymond VI
in the 12th century. On June 1, 1212, Simon de Montfort
took the castle after it had been deserted by its defenders, and gave it to Beaudouin, half-brother of the Count of Toulouse
, an ally of the Crusaders.
On February 17, 1214, Beaudouin marched on the Château de Lolmie
, and after a short battle was arrested by Ratier de Castelnau, despite also being an ally of de Montfort. Transported to Montcuq and deprived of food, he refused to order his soldiers to surrender. The garrison offered to surrender if their lives be spared, but they were soon massacred. Beaudouin was taken to Montauban
and hanged at his brother's command.
After the Treaty of Meaux
in 1229, the French king rebuilt the walls of both the town and castle. Only the keep of the castle remains nowadays.
The castle was retaken several times by the English during the 14th century, and in the 16th century was plundered by the Huguenot
s.
Singer, actor and pop/rock musician Nino Ferrer
lived in a bastide
near Montcuq.
, which flows southwestward through the commune. The Séoune
forms part of the commune's northern border.
in the TV show "Le petit rapporteur" animated by Jacques Martin
, visited the town and joked by asking a Montcuquois : "Is Montcuq well lit? Because I've heard that it is sometimes gloomy…". In French, Montcuq is pronounced the same as mon cul, meaning my ass. However the locals until recently spoke Occitan and the village name, when pronounced correctly has the 'q' pronounced as 'k', Mon-cuk. http://www.dailymotion.com/videosfle/video/xduf1_le-petit-rapporteur http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay-GhfQO7s4
In 2007, Hasbro
, the company that manufactures the Monopoly
game in France, had the idea to have the online community choose the cities that will appear on the new version of the game. Montcuq by far won the most votes (52879 votes), well ahead of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) with 30640 votes and Reims
(20727 votes). Hasbro however decided it had "played long enough with web 2.0" and had "decided to maintain its editorial line and to develop products that fit a commercial demand", so decided to out Montcuq from the board game. Hasbro has nonetheless decided to issue an all-Montcuq edition. http://www.monopoly.fr/vote.aspx http://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/20070924.WWW000000421_monopoly_victime_du_plebiscite_de_montcuq.html This little joke spun all the way to New York where members of the finance community voted for Montcuq and are thinking of adding Chatte
, a town in the Isère
department of France whose name in (slang) French also mean pussy. :fr:Chatte (Isère)
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Lot department in south-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Lying 25 km outside of Cahors
Cahors
Cahors is the capital of the Lot department in south-western France.Its site is dramatic being contained on three sides within an udder shaped twist in the river Lot known as a 'presqu'île' or peninsula...
, its residents are known as Montcuqois.
The town remains vibrant and a popular tourist destination. It still has a rich agricultural industry, and is known for its manufacture of meringue
Meringue
Meringue is a type of dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar, occasionally some recipes may call for adding an acid such as cream of tartar or a small amount of vinegar and a binding agent such as cornstarch found in icing sugar which may be added in addition to the corn starch which...
s and gaufres de Saint Daumes waffle
Waffle
A waffle is a batter- or dough-based cake cooked in a waffle iron patterned to give a distinctive and characteristic shape. There are many variations based on the type and shape of the iron and the recipe used....
s.
The town's name could derives from the Latin Mont Circus Vallium, Mont Cuneus or montem cuci, meaning "cuckoo mountain".
History
The town's foundation dates back to at least Roman times.A stronghold of the Cathars, Montcuq received its charter from Raymond VI
Raymond VI of Toulouse
Raymond VI was count of Toulouse and marquis of Provence from 1194 to 1222. He was also count of Melgueil from 1173 to 1190.-Early life:...
in the 12th century. On June 1, 1212, Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester
Simon IV de Montfort, Seigneur de Montfort-l'Amaury, 5th Earl of Leicester , also known as Simon de Montfort the elder, was a French nobleman who took part in the Fourth Crusade and was a prominent leader of the Albigensian Crusade...
took the castle after it had been deserted by its defenders, and gave it to Beaudouin, half-brother of the Count of Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, an ally of the Crusaders.
On February 17, 1214, Beaudouin marched on the Château de Lolmie
Saint-Laurent-Lolmie
Saint-Laurent-Lolmie is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France.-References:*...
, and after a short battle was arrested by Ratier de Castelnau, despite also being an ally of de Montfort. Transported to Montcuq and deprived of food, he refused to order his soldiers to surrender. The garrison offered to surrender if their lives be spared, but they were soon massacred. Beaudouin was taken to Montauban
Montauban
Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....
and hanged at his brother's command.
After the Treaty of Meaux
Meaux
Meaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
in 1229, the French king rebuilt the walls of both the town and castle. Only the keep of the castle remains nowadays.
The castle was retaken several times by the English during the 14th century, and in the 16th century was plundered by the Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s.
Singer, actor and pop/rock musician Nino Ferrer
Nino Ferrer
Nino Ferrer was a famous French – Italian singer, actor and jazz musician.- From prehistory to jazz :...
lived in a bastide
Bastide (Provencal Manor)
A Bastide is a local name for a manor house in Provence, in the south of France, located in the countryside or in a village, and originally occupied by a wealthy farmer...
near Montcuq.
Geography
The village lies in the middle of the commune, above the left bank of the BarguelonnetteBarguelonnette
The Barguelonnette is a long river in the Lot and Tarn-et-Garonne départements, southwestern France. Its source is at Villesèque. It flows generally southwest...
, which flows southwestward through the commune. The Séoune
Séoune
The Séoune is a long river in the Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne and Lot-et-Garonne départements, southwestern France. Its source is at Sauzet. It flows generally southwest...
forms part of the commune's northern border.
Trivia
In a well-known joke (1976), Daniel PrévostDaniel Prévost
Daniel Prévost is a French actor and humorist.Daniel Prevost is notably known for his part in the French television series Le Petit Rapporteur.-Early life and Family:...
in the TV show "Le petit rapporteur" animated by Jacques Martin
Jacques Martin (TV host)
Jacques Martin was a French TV host and producer.Martin was born in Lyon, Rhône. In the late 1960s he formed a comical duet of hosts on radio Europe 1 with French actor Jean Yanne....
, visited the town and joked by asking a Montcuquois : "Is Montcuq well lit? Because I've heard that it is sometimes gloomy…". In French, Montcuq is pronounced the same as mon cul, meaning my ass. However the locals until recently spoke Occitan and the village name, when pronounced correctly has the 'q' pronounced as 'k', Mon-cuk. http://www.dailymotion.com/videosfle/video/xduf1_le-petit-rapporteur http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay-GhfQO7s4
In 2007, Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
, the company that manufactures the Monopoly
Monopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
game in France, had the idea to have the online community choose the cities that will appear on the new version of the game. Montcuq by far won the most votes (52879 votes), well ahead of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) with 30640 votes and Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
(20727 votes). Hasbro however decided it had "played long enough with web 2.0" and had "decided to maintain its editorial line and to develop products that fit a commercial demand", so decided to out Montcuq from the board game. Hasbro has nonetheless decided to issue an all-Montcuq edition. http://www.monopoly.fr/vote.aspx http://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/20070924.WWW000000421_monopoly_victime_du_plebiscite_de_montcuq.html This little joke spun all the way to New York where members of the finance community voted for Montcuq and are thinking of adding Chatte
Chatte
Chatte is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, a town in the Isère
Isère
Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
department of France whose name in (slang) French also mean pussy. :fr:Chatte (Isère)