Montpellier (
OccitanOccitan , known also as Lenga d'òc in Occitan or Langue d'oc in French is a Romance language spoken in Occitania, that is, Southern France, the Occitan Valleys of Italy, Monaco and in the Aran Valley of Spain...
:
Montpelhièr) is a
cityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement, particularly a large urban settlement. Although there is no agreement on technical definitions distinguishing a city from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status...
in southern
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. It is the capital of the
Languedoc-RoussillonLanguedoc-Roussillon is one of the 26 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.Llívia is a town of...
regionFrance is administratively divided into 25 regions , of which 21 are on mainland France, and four are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
, as well as the
HéraultHérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc....
department.
Population
The population of the commune of Montpellier at the 2006 census was 251,392, whereas the whole metropolitan area had a population of 600,000 in 2006. In 2005, it was estimated that the population of the city of Montpellier had reached 248,000. In 2008, the estimated population of the metropolitan area was 533,000.
Geography
The city is situated on hilly ground inland from the Mediterranean coast on the River Lez. The name of the city, which was originally
Monspessulanus, is said to have stood for
mont pelé (the naked hill, because the vegetation was poor), or
le mont de la colline (the mount of the hill)
Montpellier is located from
NîmesNîmes is a city in southern France. It is the capital of the Gard department. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and it is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
, from
MarseilleMarseille , formerly known as Massalia , is the 2nd most populous French city as well as the oldest city in France...
, from
ToulouseToulouse is a city in southwest France on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With 1,102,882 inhabitants as of Jan...
. It is at a distance of from the capital of France,
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Montpellier's highest point is the Place du Peyrou, at an altitude of 57 m. The city is built on two hills, Montpellier and Montpelliéret, thus some of its streets have great differences of altitude. Some of its streets are also very narrow and old, which gives it a more intimate feel.
Neighbourhoods
Since 2001, Montpellier is divided in seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided in sub-neighbourhoods. Every one of them possesses a neighbourhood council.
- Montpellier-centre : historical centre (Écusson), Comédie, Gares, Faubourg Boutonnet, Saint-Charles, Faubourg Saint-Jaume, Peyrou, Les Arceaux, Figuerolles, Faubourg du Courreau, Gambetta, Clémenceau, Méditerranée, boulevard de Strasbourg, Le Triangle, Polygone, Antigone, Nouveau-Monde, Parc à Ballons, Les Aubes, Les Beaux-Arts, Saint-Lazare.
- Croix-d'Argent : avenue de Toulouse, Croix d'Argent, Mas Drevon, Tastavin, Lemasson, Garosud, Mas de Bagnères, Mas Nouguier, les Sabines, Lepic, Pas du Loup, Estanove, Val-de-Crozes, Bagatelle.
- Les Cévennes : Les Cévennes, Alco, Le Petit Bard, Pergola, Saint-Clément, Clémentville, Las Rebès, La Chamberte, La Martelle, Montpellier-Village, Les Grisettes, Les Grèzes.
- Mosson : La Mosson, Celleneuve, La Paillade, les Hauts-de-Massane, Le Grand-Mail, Les Tritons.
- Hôpitaux-Facultés : Malbosc, Saint-Priest, Euromédecine, Zolad, Plan des 4 Seigneurs, Hôpitaux, IUT, Père Soulas, Universités, Vert-Bois, Hauts de Boutonnet, Aiguelongue, Justice, Parc zoologique de Lunaret, Agropolis.
- Port-Marianne : La Pompignane, Richter, Millénaire, Jacques Cœur, Consuls de Mer, Grammont, Odysseum, Montaubérou, La Méjanelle, La Mogère.
- Prés d'Arènes : Les Prés d'Arènes, Avenue de Palavas, La Rauze, Tournezy, Saint-Martin, Les Aiguerelles, Pont-Trinquat, Cité Mion.
Medieval period
In the
Early Middle AgesThe Early Middle Ages, or Dark Ages, is a period in the history of Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It lasted from about AD 500 to 1000. The period featured raiding, migration, and conquest by Huns, Germanic peoples, Arabs, Vikings, Hungarians and others. There was frequent...
, the nearby episcopal town of Maguelone was the major settlement in the area, but raids by
piratesPiracy is a war-like act committed by private parties that engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the...
encouraged settlement a little further inland. Montpellier, first mentioned in a document of 985, was founded under a local
feudalFeudalism is a decentralized sociopolitical structure in which a weak monarchy attempts to control the lands of the realm through reciprocal agreements with regional leaders...
dynasty, the Guillem
counts of ToulouseThe first comites of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians. No succession of such royal appointees is known, though a few names survive to the present...
, who joined together two hamlets and built a castle and walls around the united settlement. The two surviving towers of the city walls, the
Tour des Pins and the
Tour de la Babotte are later in date, however. Montpellier came to prominence in the 10th century as a trading centre, with trading links across the Mediterranean world and a rich Jewish cultural life and traditions of tolerance of its Muslims, Jews and
CatharCatharism was a name given to a Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France and other parts of Europe in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. Catharism had its roots in the Paulician movement in Armenia and...
s—and later of its Protestants.
William VII of MontpellierWilliam VII of Montpellier was the eldest son of William VI and of his wife Sibylle.Aged around 15, he inherited the lordship of Montpellier from his father in 1146 under the tutelage of his grandmother, Ermessende of Melgueil...
established a faculty of medicine in 1180, recognised by
Pope Nicholas IVPope Nicholas IV , born Girolamo Masci, was Pope from February 22, 1288 to April 4, 1292. A Franciscan monk, he had been legate to the Greeks under Pope Gregory X in 1272, succeeded Bonaventure as general of his order in 1274, was made Cardinal Priest of Santa Prassede and Latin Patriarch of...
; the city's university was established in 1220 and was one of the chief centers for the teaching of
medicineMedicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. This marked the high point of Montpellier's prominence. The city became a possession of the kings of Aragon in 1213 by the marriage of
Peter II of AragonPeter II the Catholic was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1196 to 1213.He was the son of Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancha of Castile...
with
Marie of MontpellierMarie of Montpellier was the daughter of William VIII of Montpellier and Eudokia Komnene...
, who brought the city as her
dowryA dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage. Compare bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both dowry...
. Montpellier gained a charter in 1204 when Peter and Marie confirmed the city's traditional freedoms and granted the city the right to choose twelve governing consuls annually. Montpellier remained a possession of the crown of Aragon until it passed to
James III of MajorcaJames III , called the Rash or the Unfortunate, son of Ferdinand of Majorca and Isabelle de Sabran, heiress of Principality of Achaea, was the King of Majorca from 1324 to 1344. He was the last independent king of Majorca of the House of Barcelona.James was born at Catania...
, who sold the city to the French king
Philip VIPhilip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
in 1349, to raise funds for his ongoing struggle with
Peter IV of AragonPeter IV, also known as Pedro or Pere , called the Ceremonious or El del Punyalet , was the King of Aragon, King of Sardinia and Corsica , King of Valencia , and Count of Barcelona Peter IV, also known as Pedro or Pere (Balaguer5 September 1319 – 6 January 1387), called the Ceremonious (el...
. In the 14th century, Montpellier gained a church (not yet a cathedral) dedicated to
Saint PeterSimon Peter , Pétros “Rock”, Kephas in Hellenized Aramaic) was a leader of the early Christian Church, who features prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Peter was the son of John, and was from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee...
, noteworthy for its very unusual porch supported by two high, somewhat rocket-like towers. With its importance steadily increasing, the city finally gained a bishop, who moved from Maguelone in 1536 and sat in the neighbouring community of Montpelliéret (eventually absorbed into Montpellier proper). In 1432,
Jacques CœurJacques Cœur , was a French merchant, one of the founders of the trade between France and the Levant.- Origins :He was born at Bourges, the city where his father, Pierre Cœur, was a rich merchant...
established himself in the city and it became an important economic centre, until 1481 when
MarseilleMarseille , formerly known as Massalia , is the 2nd most populous French city as well as the oldest city in France...
took over this role.
After the Reformation
At the time of the
ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a Christian reform movement in Europe which is generally deemed to have begun with Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 although a number of precursors such as Jan Hus predate that event...
in the sixteenth century, many of the inhabitants of Montpellier became Protestants (or Huguenots as they were known in France) and the city became a stronghold of Protestant resistance to the Catholic French crown. In 1622, King
Louis XIIILouis XIII reigned as King of France and Navarre from 1610 to 1643.-Early life, 1601—1610:Born at the Château de Fontainebleau, Louis XIII was the eldest child of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici . As son of the king, he was a Fils de France, and as the eldest son, the Dauphin...
besieged the city and took it after eight months, building the
Citadel of MontpellierThe Citadel of Montpellier is an Early Modern fortification in the city of Montpellier, in the Hérault département of southern France. It was built between 1624 and 1627, after several rebellions under the orders of Louis XIII in order to keep watch over the town...
to secure it.
Louis XIVLouis XIV , popularly known as the Sun King , was King of France and of Navarre His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days, and is the longest documented reign of any European monarch.Louis began personally governing France after the death...
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 RevolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
, the city became the capital of the much smaller
HéraultHérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc....
.
Modern history
During the 19th century the city developed into an industrial centre. In the 1960s, its population grew dramatically after French settlers in
AlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean sea, the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area.It is bordered by Tunisia in...
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 the
CorumMontpellier's Corum is a building that houses both a conference centre and a opera house, and is located in the centre of the city in southern France....
and especially the
Antigone DistrictThe Antigone District is a neighbourhood part of Montpellier, southern France, at . It is best known for its architectural design by Ricardo Bofill....
.
Lords of Montpellier
- William I of Montpellier
William I or Guilhem I was the founder of the dynasty which bears his name: the Guilhems, Lords of Montpellier. He received his fief of Monspestularius on 26 November 986 from Bernard, Count of Mauguio, with the permission of Ricuin, Bishop of Maguelone....
(d. 1019)
- William II of Montpellier (d. 1025)
- William III of Montpellier (d. 1058)
- William IV of Montpellier (d. 1068)
- William V of Montpellier
William V or Guilhem V was the Lord of Montpellier from an early age until his death. He was the son of Bernard William IV.Soon after his father's death, his mother, Ermengarde, quit Montpellier to marry the Lord of Anduze...
(d. 1120)
- William VI of Montpellier
William VI of Montpellier was the elder son of William V and his wife Ermessende . William succeeded his father in the lordship of Montpellier; he inherited it in 1120, while still a minor, under his mother's guardianship. William of Aumelas was his brother.William VI's wife was named Sibylle, but...
(d. 1149)
- William VII of Montpellier
William VII of Montpellier was the eldest son of William VI and of his wife Sibylle.Aged around 15, he inherited the lordship of Montpellier from his father in 1146 under the tutelage of his grandmother, Ermessende of Melgueil...
(d. 1179)
- William VIII of Montpellier
William VIII of Montpellier was Lord of Montpellier, the son of William VII.He married Eudoxie or Eudokia Komnene, niece of the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos. A condition of the marriage was that the firstborn child, boy or girl, would succeed to the lordship of Montpellier on William's...
(d. 1202)
- Marie of Montpellier
Marie of Montpellier was the daughter of William VIII of Montpellier and Eudokia Komnene...
(d. 1219)
- and King Peter II of Aragon
Peter II the Catholic was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1196 to 1213.He was the son of Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancha of Castile...
(d. 1213)
- James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
(d. 1276)
- James II of Majorca
James II was King of Majorca and Lord of Montpellier from 1243 until his death. He was the second son of James I of Aragon and his wife Violant, daughter of Andrew II of Hungary...
(d. 1311)
Main sights
- The main focus point of the city is the Place de la Comédie
The Place de la Comédie is the main focal point of the city of Montpellier, in the Hérault département in southern France. It is located at the south-west point of the city centre, at , where in previous times the fortifications of the city were located....
.
- The Musée Fabre
The Musée Fabre is a museum in the southern French city of Montpellier, capital of the Hérault département.The museum was founded by François-Xavier Fabre, a Montpellier painter, in 1825. Beginning in 2003, the museum underwent a 61.2 million euro renovation, which was completed in January 2007...
- In the historic centre, a significant number of Hôtels
The city of Montpellier, in southern France, has a large number of noteworthy historical Hôtels in its old centre. These Hôtels are listed on this page with a short description...
can be found.
- The Jardin des plantes de Montpellier
The Jardin des plantes de Montpellier is a historic botanical garden and arboretum located on Boulevard Henri IV, Montpellier, Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France...
– oldest botanical gardenBotanical gardens grow a wide variety of plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes. Botanists and horticulturalists tend the flora and maintain the garden's library and herbarium of dried and documented plant material. Botanical gardens may also serve to entertain and...
in France, founded in 1593
- The La Serre Amazonienne
La Serre Amazonienne is a tropical greenhouse representing the Amazon environment. It is located at 50 avenue Agropolis, Montpellier, Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, and open daily; an admission fee is charged....
, an AmazonThe Amazon rainforest , also known as Amazonia, or the Amazon jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
greenhouse
- The fourteenth century Saint Pierre Cathedral
- The Porte du Peyrou
The Porte du Peyrou is a triumphal arch in Montpellier, in southern France. It is situated at the eastern end of the Jardin de Peyrou, a park near the center of the city....
, a triumphal archA triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental archway, in theory built to celebrate a victory in war, but often used to celebrate a ruler....
- The Saint Clément Aqueduct
- The Antigone District
The Antigone District is a neighbourhood part of Montpellier, southern France, at . It is best known for its architectural design by Ricardo Bofill....
and other housing projects have been designed by the architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
Ricardo BofillRicardo Bofill is a Spanish Catalan postmodernist architect.He studied at the School of Architecture in Geneva, Switzerland...
from CataloniaCatalonia is an Autonomous Community in northeast Spain. The capital city is Barcelona.Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,364,078. It borders France and Andorra to the north, Aragon to the west, the Valencian Community to the south, and the...
, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
- A number of châteaux
Surrounding the French city of Montpellier are a number of chateaux, old country mansions or follies, built by wealthy merchants, from the 18th century onwards. Some of them had and still have their own wines. Jean Giral was amongst the architects hired by the merchants.The follies are the visible...
, so-called folliesIn architecture, a folly is a building constructed strictly as a decoration, having none of the usual purposes of housing or sheltering associated with a conventional structure. In the 18th century English gardens and French landscape gardening often featured Roman temples, which symbolized...
, built by wealthy merchants surround the city
Education
The
University of MontpellierThe University of Montpellier was a French university in Montpellier in the Languedoc-Roussillon région of the south of France. Its present-day successor universities are the University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier 2 University and Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III.-History:The university...
is one of the oldest in the World, 1160,
having been granted a charter in 1220 by Cardinal Conrad von Urach and confirmed by
Pope Nicholas IVPope Nicholas IV , born Girolamo Masci, was Pope from February 22, 1288 to April 4, 1292. A Franciscan monk, he had been legate to the Greeks under Pope Gregory X in 1272, succeeded Bonaventure as general of his order in 1274, was made Cardinal Priest of Santa Prassede and Latin Patriarch of...
in a
papal bullA Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a pope. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end to authenticate it....
of 1289. It was suppressed during the
French RevolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
but was
re-established in 1896.
It is not known exactly at what date the schools of literature were founded which developed into the Montpellier faculty of arts; it may be that they were a direct continuation of the Gallo-Roman schools. The school of law was founded by
PlacentinusPlancentinus was an Italian jurist and glossator. Originally from Piacenza, he taught at the University of Bologna. From there he founded the law school of the University of Montpellier, in 1160....
, a doctor from Bologna university, who came to Montpellier in 1160, taught there during two different periods, and died there in 1192. The school of medicine was founded perhaps by a graduate of the Spanish medical schools; it is certain that, as early as 1137, there were excellent physicians at Montpellier. The statutes given in 1220 by Cardinal Conrad, legate of Honorius III, which were completed in 1240 by Pierre de Conques, placed this school under the direction of the Bishop of Maguelonne.
Pope Nicholas IVPope Nicholas IV , born Girolamo Masci, was Pope from February 22, 1288 to April 4, 1292. A Franciscan monk, he had been legate to the Greeks under Pope Gregory X in 1272, succeeded Bonaventure as general of his order in 1274, was made Cardinal Priest of Santa Prassede and Latin Patriarch of...
issued a Bull in 1289, combining all the schools into a university, which was placed
under the direction of the bishop, but which in fact enjoyed a large measure of autonomy.
Theology was at first taught in the convents, in which St. Anthony of Padua, Raymond Lullus, and the Dominican
Bernard de la TreilleBernard of Trilia was a French Dominican theologian and scholastic philosopher. He was an early supporter of the teaching of Thomas Aquinas. He lectured at Montpellier.-External links:*...
lectured. Two letters of King John prove that a faculty of
theology existed at Montpellier independently of the convents, in January, 1350. By a Bull of 17 December, 1421,
Martin VPope Martin V , born Odo Colonna was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Life:...
granted canonical institution to this faculty and united it closely with the faculty of law. In the sixteenth century the faculty of theology disappeared for a time, when
CalvinismCalvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
, in the reign of
Henry II of FranceHenry II of the House of Valois and son and successor of Francis I was King of France from 31 March 1547, until his death in 1559.-Early years:...
, held complete possession of the city. It resumed its functions after Louis XIII had reestablished the royal power at Montpellier in 1622; but the rivalries of
DominicansThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic in the early 13th century in France...
and Jesuits interfered seriously with the prosperity of the faculty, which disappeared at the Revolution. The faculty numbered among its illustrious pupils of law
PetrarchFrancesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest Renaissance humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
, who spent four years at Montpellier, and among its lecturers
Guillaume de NogaretGuillaume de Nogaret or William of Nogaret was councillor and keeper of the seal to Philip IV of France.- Early life :...
, chancellor to Philip the Fair, Guillaume de Grimoard, afterwards pope under the name of Urban V, and Pedro de Luna, antipope as Benedict XIII. But after the 15th century this faculty fell into decay, as did also the faculty of arts, although for a time, under
Henry IV of FranceHenry IV was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France. His parents were Queen Jeanne III and King Antoine of Navarre.As a Huguenot, Henry was involved in the Wars of Religion before...
, the latter faculty had among its lecturers Casaubon. The Montpellier school of medicine owed its success to the ruling of the Guilhems, lords of the town, by which any licensed physician might lecture there; there was no fixed limit to the number of teachers, lectures were multiplied, and there was a great wealth of teaching. Rabelais took his medical degrees at Montpellier. It was in this school that the biological theory of
vitalismVitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is#a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from biochemical reactions...
, elaborated by
BarthezPaul Joseph Barthez was a French physician, physiologist, and encyclopedist who developed a take on the biological theory known as vitalism....
(1734–1806), had its origin. The French Revolution did not interrupt the existence of the faculty of medicine. The faculties of science and of letters were re-established in 1810; that of law in 1880. It was on the occasion of the sixth centenary of the university, celebrated in 1889, that the Government of France announced its intention – which has since been realized – of reorganizing the provincial universities in France.
Transport
Montpellier is served by railway, including
TGVThe TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by VFE, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, and is now operated primarily by SNCF...
trains. Montpellier's main railway station is St Roch.
The
Montpellier-Méditerranée AirportMontpellier - Méditerranée Airport or Aéroport de Montpellier - Méditerranée , also known as Fréjorgues Airport, is an airport in southern France. It is located 7 km east-southeast of Montpellier in Mauguio. The airport carries the 9th largest number of passengers in France...
is located in the area of Fréjorgues, in the town of
MauguioMauguio is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-Transportation:The airport of Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport is located in the area of Fréjorgues in the town of Mauguio....
, southeast of Montpellier.
The
TaMTransports de l'agglomération de Montpellier is the public transport company in Montpellier, France and its agglomeration.TaM operates buses, three tram lines, the shared bicycle scheme Vélomagg'...
(
Transports de l'agglomération de Montpellier) manages the city's public transportation, including its
tramway networkThe city of Montpellier, France has a network of two tram lines currently in service, with a third line in planning. Responsibility for trams is held by the agglomeration community of the Montpellier agglomeration , and trams are operated by the Transports de l'agglomération de Montpellier ...
consisting of 2 lines and several parking facilities. Line 1 runs from Mosson in the west to Odysseum in the east. Line 2 runs from Jacou in the northeast to St. Jean-de-Vedas in the southwest. They intersect at Gare St. Roch station, Place de l'Europe and again in front of the Corum. Work on Line 3, which is planned to be in service by 2012, will start in the near future. This line will link Juvenac and Perols with a branch to Lattes and will serve 32 stations.
The TaM is as well managing the large bike sharing scheme
Vélomagg'Vélomagg is a bike sharing scheme in Montpellier, France launched in June 2007, engineered by Smoove. This community bicycle program comprises 750 bicycles and 59 stations for short and long term renting, optionally coupled with tramway, bus and car sharing services.Individual bicycles can park in...
, started in June 2007, comprising 1200 bicycles and 50 stations.
Sport
Montpellier was the finish of Stage 11 and the departure of Stage 12 in the
2007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
. The city is home to a variety of professional sports teams:
- Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French football club, based in Montpellier currently playing in Ligue 1. MHSC is owned by Louis Nicollin. The team regained promotion to Ligue 1 after beating RC Strasbourg 2-1 at the Stade de la Mosson on 29th May 2009....
of Ligue 1Ligue 1 is the top division of French football, one of two divisions making up the LFP, the other being Ligue 2. One member club, AS Monaco, is based in the independent Principality of Monaco, rather than in France proper...
who play association football at the Stade de la MossonStade de la Mosson is a football stadium in Montpellier, France. It is the home of Montpellier HSC and has a capacity of 32,900. Formerly a 16,000-seater stadium, it was entirely rebuilt in 1998 to host 6 games of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It was also used as a venue for group stage matches in the...
- Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club is currently competing in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14....
, of the Top 14 who play rugby unionRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
formerly at the Stade SabathéStade Sabathé is a multi-use stadium in Montpellier, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union and rugby leauge matches and is the home stadium of Montpellier RC and Montpellier XIII. The stadium is able to hold 6,500 people....
and now at the Stade Yves du Manoir
- Montpellier XIII who play rugby league
Rugby league football is a full-contact form of football, played with a prolate spheroid ball by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union...
in Elite 2 division at the Stade SabathéStade Sabathé is a multi-use stadium in Montpellier, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union and rugby leauge matches and is the home stadium of Montpellier RC and Montpellier XIII. The stadium is able to hold 6,500 people....
- Montpellier Agglomération Handball
Montpellier Agglomération Handball, formerly Montpellier HB, is a team handball club from Montpellier, France.In 2003, Montpellier won the biggest prize in European club handball, the EHF Champions League, rallying from an eight-goal deficit after the first leg. They are the only French team ever...
are a team handball club playing in the French National League.
- Montpellier Vipers of France's Division 1 ice hockey
Ice Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
Federation, play at the Patinoire de l'Agglomération de Montpellier at Odysseum
- Montpellier Water Polo is playing in the National League and European Cup competitions.
Culture
The
Festival de Radio France et MontpellierThe Festival de Radio France et Montpellier is a summer festival of opera and music held in Montpellier, France. The music festival concentrates on classical music and jazz with about 100 events, including opera, concerts, films, and talks, most of which are free and located in the historic...
is a summer festival of
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and music held in Montpellier. The music festival concentrates on
classical musicClassical music is the mainstream music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 9th century to present times...
and jazz with about 150 events, including
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, concerts, films, and talks. Most of these events are free and are held in the historic
courtyardFor alternative meanings of the word "court", see: Court .A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky...
s of the city or the modern concert halls of
Le CorumMontpellier's Corum is a building that houses both a conference centre and a opera house, and is located in the centre of the city in southern France....
. Le Corum cultural and conference centre contains 3 auditoriums.
Twin cities
Montpellier is
twinnedSister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...
with:
LakewoodLakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders the city of Cleveland...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, since 1918
LouisvilleLouisville is Kentucky's largest city and county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's estimated population as of 2008 was 713,877 , with a population of 1,244,696 in the Louisville...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, since 1955
HeidelbergHeidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. As of 2008, over 145,000 people live within the city's area. Heidelberg is a unitary authority...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, since 1961
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
since 1963
ChengduChengdu , located in southwest People's Republic of China, is the capital of Sichuan province and a sub-provincial city. Chengdu is also one of the most important economic centers, transportation and communication hubs in Southwestern China...
,
ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
, since 1981
TiberiasTiberias is a city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, Lower Galilee, Israel. Established in 20 CE, it was named in honour of the emperor Tiberius. Since the sixteenth century, Tiberias has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed...
,
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
, since 1983
FesFes or Fez is the third largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca and Rabat with a population of 946,815 . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
,
MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
since 2003
Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America. The city was the capital of Brazil for nearly two centuries, from 1763 to 1822 during the Portuguese colonial era, and...
,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
since 2008
Famous inhabitants of Montpellier
Montpellier was the birthplace of:
- Abraham ben Isaac of Narbonne
Abraham ben Isaac of Narbonne was a Provençal rabbi, also known as Raavad II, and author of the halachic work Ha-Eshkol .Abraham ben Isaac was probably born at Montpellier...
(c.1110–1179), rabbiRabbi is the term in Judaism for a religious teacher. The word rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word , rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered." The word comes from the Semitic root R-B-B, and is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" Rabbi ' onMouseout='HidePop("72489")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Halakha">halakhic
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho and Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish religious law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions....
work
Ha-Eshkol.
- Saint Roch
Saint Roch or Rocco ; lived c.1348 - 15/16 August 1376/79 , also known as Rock or Rocco in English, was a Christian saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August; he is specially invoked...
(1295–1327), pilgrim to RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
, venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church
- Pierre Magnol
Pierre Magnol was a French botanist. He was born in the city of Montpellier, where he lived and worked for the biggest part of his life. He eventually became Professor of Botany and Director of the Royal Botanic Garden of Montpellier and even held a seat in the Académie Royale des Sciences de...
(1638–1715), botanist, founder of the concept of plant families
- Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès
Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, 1st Duc de Parma, , was a French lawyer and statesman during the French Revolution and the First Empire, best remembered as the author of the Napoleonic code, which still forms the basis of French civil law.-Early career:Cambacérès was born in Montpellier, into a...
(1753–1824), lawyer and statesman, author of the Code NapoléonThe Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon is the French civil code, established under Napoléon I in 1804. The code forbade privileges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and specified that government jobs go to the most qualified...
- Guillaume Mathieu, comte Dumas
Guillaume Mathieu, comte Dumas was a French general.-Biography:Born in Montpellier, France of a noble family, he joined the French army in 1773 and entered upon active service in 1780, as aide-de-camp to Rochambeau in the American Revolutionary War. He had a share in all the principal engagements...
(1753–1837), military leader
- Auguste Comte
Auguste Comte was a French philosopher, the founder of sociology and sociological positivism.Comte developed sociologie in an attempt to remedy the social malaise left by the French revolution. The discipline was later formally and academically established by Émile Durkheim...
(1798–1857), a founder of the discipline of sociologySociology is the scientific or systematic study of human societies. It is a branch of social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, often with the goal of applying such...
- Antoine Jérôme Balard
Antoine Jérôme Balard was a French chemist and the discoverer of bromine.Born at Montpellier, he started as an apothecary, but taking up teaching he acted as chemical assistant at the faculty of sciences of his native town, and then became professor of chemistry at the royal college and school of...
(1802–1876), chemistA chemist is a scientist trained in the science of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density, acidity, size and shape. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component...
- Émile Saisset
Émile Edmond Saisset was a French philosopher.He was born at Montpellier. He studied philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure, and carried on the eclectic tradition of his master along with Ravaisson and Jules Simon...
(1814–1863), philosopher
- Charles Bernard Renouvier
Charles Bernard Renouvier was a French philosopher.-Biography:Charles B. Renouvier was born in Montpellier and educated in Paris at the École Polytechnique. He took an early interest in politics...
(1815–1903), philosopher
- Édouard Albert Roche (1820–1883), astronomer
- Alfred Bruyas
Alfred Bruyas was an art collector and a personal friend of many important artists of his time, among them Gustave Courbet. He donated his collection to the Musée Fabre, in Montpellier....
(1821–1876), art collector
- Alexandre Cabanel
Alexandre Cabanel was a French painter.Cabanel was born in Montpellier, Hérault. He painted historical, classical and religious subjects in the academic style. He was also well-known as a portrait painter...
(1823–1889), painter
- Frédéric Bazille
Jean Frédéric Bazille was a French Impressionist painter whose major works often foreground the figure within a landscape painted en plein air.-Life and work:...
(1841–1870), Impressionist painter
- Léo Malet
-Biography:Leo Malet was born in Montpellier. He had little formal education and began work as a cabaret singer at "La Vache Enragee" in Montmartre, Paris in 1925....
(1909–1996), crime novelist
- Jeanne Demessieux
Jeanne Marie-Madeleine Demessieux , was a French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue.-Biography:...
(1921–1968), organistAn organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, pianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
, composerA composer is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of...
, and pedagogueIn education, a teacher is a person who educates others. A teacher who educates an individual student may also be described as a personal tutor....
- Jean-Luc Dehaene
Jean-Luc Dehaene is a Belgian politician.-Early life and political career:He was born in Montpellier, France, when his parents were fleeing German troops...
(1940– ), Prime-Minister of BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
- Rémi Gaillard
Rémi Gaillard is a French prankster. He gained attention in the French media after performing a well-documented series of pranks, including a famous appearance disguised as a Lorient football player in the 2002 Coupe de France final match where he took part in the celebrations and even greeted the...
(1975– ), famous French prankster
Other famous inhabitants include:
- François Rabelais
François Rabelais was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor and Renaissance humanist. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, and both bawdy jokes and songs.- Biography :...
(1493–1553) was a student at the University of MontpellierThe University of Montpellier was a French university in Montpellier in the Languedoc-Roussillon région of the south of France. Its present-day successor universities are the University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier 2 University and Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III.-History:The university...
- Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...
(1503–1566) was a student at the University of MontpellierThe University of Montpellier was a French university in Montpellier in the Languedoc-Roussillon région of the south of France. Its present-day successor universities are the University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier 2 University and Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III.-History:The university...
- Pierre-Joseph Amoreux
Pierre-Joseph Amoreux was a French physician and naturalist. He was the librarian at the Faculté de Médecine de Montpellier , in English Medical college of Montpellier...
(1741–1824), zoologist
- Jean-Louis Michel
Jean-Louis Michel was a mulatto fencing master, sometimes hailed as the foremost exponent of the art of fencing in the nineteenth century.-Early life:...
(1785–1865), fencing master, who lived in Montpellier from 1830 onwards
- Gaston Darboux (1842–1917), mathematician
- Alexander Grothendieck
Alexander Grothendieck is considered one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century.He is most famous for his revolutionary advances in algebraic geometry, but he has also made major contributions to algebraic topology, number theory, category theory, Galois theory, descent theory,...
(1928–), mathematician
- Nikola Karabatić
Nikola Karabatić is a French team handball player, born to Serbian mother and Croatian father....
(1984–) handball player
- Paul Valery
Ambroise-Paul-Toussaint-Jules Valéry was a French poet, essayist, and philosopher. His interests were sufficiently broad that he can be classified as a polymath...
was a student at the University of MontpellierThe University of Montpellier was a French university in Montpellier in the Languedoc-Roussillon région of the south of France. Its present-day successor universities are the University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier 2 University and Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III.-History:The university...
- Enver Hoxha
' was the Communist leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
(1908-1985) was a student at the University of MontpellierThe University of Montpellier was a French university in Montpellier in the Languedoc-Roussillon région of the south of France. Its present-day successor universities are the University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier 2 University and Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III.-History:The university...
Other locations named after Montpellier
"Montpellier" is used as the name of other towns and streets in as many as four continents. Many places in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland carry the name Montpellier. Often they are in resort locations claiming some of the healthy attributes for which the French city was renowned in earlier centuries. The variant spelling "Montpelier" is common, and is of quite early provenance.
BrewerBrewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, sometimes referred to simply as Brewer's — is a reference work containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions and figures, whether historical or mythical....
uses that spelling.
Secondary Montpelliers/Montpeliers are also found in Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the Caribbean.
The capital of the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of
VermontThe State of Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd by land area, , and 45th by total area. It has a population of 621,270, making it the second least-populated state...
was named
MontpelierMontpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 8,035 at the 2000...
because of the high regard held by the Americans for the French who aided their
Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , also sometimes known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers...
against the
BritishThe Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801...
. Several other American cities are also named Montpelier.
External links