Montréal (Aude)

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Montréal
Montreal
Montréal Coat of Arms
Montréal (France)
Montréal
region Occitania
Department Aude
Arrondissement Carcassonne
Canton La Malpère à la Montagne Noire
Community association Piège Lauragais Malepère
Coordinates 43 ° 12 '  N , 2 ° 9'  E Coordinates: 43 ° 12 '  N , 2 ° 9'  E
height 117-443 m
surface 55.21 km 2
Residents 1,896 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 34 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 11290
INSEE code 11254

Montréal - town view

Montréal ( Occitan : Montreal ) is a French commune with 1,896 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Aude department in the Occitanie region .

location

Montréal is located on a hill in the southeast of the Lauragais landscape , about 80 kilometers (driving distance) in a southeast direction from Toulouse . Castelnaudary is about 25 kilometers north-west ; to Carcassonne it is about 18 kilometers in an easterly direction. The historically significant town of Fanjeaux is only about 10 kilometers to the west.

Population development

year 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2016
Residents 1678 1588 1535 1546 1672 1881 1899

economy

As in most places in the Lauragais (also called Pays de la Cocagne = 'Land of plenty'), the cultivation, processing and trade of woad ( pastel ) played an important role in the economic life of the wealthy city in the late Middle Ages and early modern times. But the cultivation of pastel was given up as early as the 18th century - it had gradually been pushed out of the market by the new dye indigo . Since then, the farmers in the Lauragais have had to eat grain ( wheat , maize ), sunflowers and a little cattle breeding (cattle, sheep) again.

Montréal has a share in the Malepère wine region , which produces red and rosé wines with Protected Designation of Origin (AOC).

history

The settlement history of the hill probably goes back to Gallo-Roman - perhaps even earlier - times.

Collegiate Church of St Vincent - south portal and choir flank tower

In the Middle Ages, Montréal was in the heart of the Pays Cathare , whose strongholds were Toulouse and Carcassonne. In 1207 there was a dispute between Cathars and Catholics in Montréal ; on the side of the latter are also Domingo de Guzman , the later St. Dominic, and the Castilian bishop Diego de Acebo . A year after the assassination of the papal legate Pierre de Castelnau at Saint-Gilles-du-Gard (1208) the Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) began. In the leaderless and troubled times after the death of the leader of the crusader army, Simon de Montfort , outside Toulouse in 1219, Montréal, which had previously surrendered to the papal troops, was again besieged - this time by soldiers from Toulouse and Foix .

After the Treaty of Paris (1229) Montréal came into possession of the French crown domain ( Domaine royal ) along with other areas in the south of France . 1240 was here by Louis IX. a permanent court of justice ( Cours d'Assises ) established. In 1273 under Philip III. a new construction of the castle ( château ) started.

From the 14th to the 16th century, Montréal experienced - despite the Hundred Years War (1337–1453) and despite the plague - a heyday through the cultivation, processing and marketing of woad ( pastel ) a heyday that only began with the Huguenot Wars ( 1562–1598) and Cardinal Richelieu's restrictive religious policy ended in the first half of the 17th century. In addition, there was the economic decline due to the increasing import of indigo.

Attractions

  • Only a few ruins remain of the castle that was once so important for the fortunes of the city.
Collegiate Church of St Vincent - nave
  • The construction of the collegiate church ( collégiale ) St-Vincent, which dominates the place, was tackled at the same time as the new castle; the church construction was probably completed in 1318. It is a defensive-looking building in the Tolosan Gothic style, made of roughly hewn sandstone, with a mighty octagonal choir tower. The south portal made of light limestone impresses with its wealth of late Gothic shapes. The interior of the church - as is often the case in the Occitan south of France - has a single nave with high side chapels. Choir and side chapels are vaulted with ribs; the nave had a wooden roof structure until 1783, then it was decided to draw in a stone vault - but the current construction is only a masquerade, because the wooden roof stalls are still present under layers of plaster and stucco.

Personalities

Others

Web links

Commons : Montréal  - collection of images, videos and audio files