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Montauban
The pinkest of the pink cities,
Montauban is home to the
Tarn-et-Garonne prefecture as well as over 50,000 inhabitants.
The town of Montauban was created in
1144 by Alphonse Jourdain on the
orders of the count of Toulouse. The
initial role of the town was to defend the roads to Toulouse; hence its
strategic position, on the river Tarn, and near the three rivers the
Lot, the
Gers and L’Averyon. |
The
town
itself is built in a symmetrical pattern around a central square; La
Place
Nationale. The
Place Nationale is the heart of Montauban, and is still a
beautifully preserved square, with brick houses all around it, and
plenty of
small cafes and restaurants located within the walls.
Since medieval times this square has
provided a perfect
location to watch the world go by on a sunny day
Montauban boasts a proud history,
which includes several
sieges, notably in 1621 when as one of the three Protestant centers for
France,
Montauban was besieged by Louis XIII, and the town held out for 86 days
until
the King and his soldiers withdrew.
By
the nineteenth century Montauban became
so important commercially that Napoleon created the département of
Tarn-et-Garonne by cutting up several other départements. Famous
children of Montauban include the painter Jean Auguste Dominque Ingres
and the
sculptor Bourdelle.
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The Ingres museum is housed in the
old episcopal palace
built in 1664 on the site of an old fortress by the King of England’s
son the
Prince Noir (Black Prince) during the Hundred Year War. It
is possible to visit the old underground Guard room, or the Prince
Noir’s room
dating from the 14th century. The ground floor is mainly devoted to the
scupltures of Bourdelle, one of Rodin’s pupils, whilst the first-floor
houses
many of Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’ paintings.
Montauban
is a wonderful town,
lively yet peaceful, and couples an historical atmosphere with modern
facilities. There
are plenty of
cafes and restaurants, and the shops range from modern department
stores, to
exclusive boutiques, alongside the traditional markets.
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Annual
Local Events
Fête de la
Cerise
(Cherry Festival) - early June in Dunes.
Fête de Dunes
(Village Celebrations) - mid August in Dunes.
Journées
Occitanes
(Celebration of Occitan language, culture,
music and dance) - mid November in Dunes.
Marché des
Potiers
(Pottery and ceramics fair) - early October in Auvillar.
Au Fil de
l'Eau
une histoire' son et lumière spectacle (depicting the history of the
area and the importance of the canal to the town) - early August in
Valence d'Agen.
Fête de
Valence d'Agen
(town celebrations and fireworks) in early September.
.. and many, many more throughout the summer, each one as enchanting as
the others but, above all, great fun to experience!
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