History and civilization
- Montpellier, first mentioned in a document of 985, was founded under a local feudal dynasty, the Guillem counts of Toulouse, who joined together two hamlets, built a castle and walls around the settlement.
- 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 Cathars – and later of its Protestants.
- William VII of Montpellier established a faculty of medicine in 1180, recognized by Pope Nicholas IV; the city’s university was established in 1220 and was one of the chief centers for the teaching of medicine.
- The city became a possession of the kings of Aragon in 1213 by the marriage of Peter II of Aragon with Marie of Montpellier, who brought the city as her dowry.
- Montpellier remained a possession of the crown of Aragon until it passed to James III of Majorca, who sold the city to the French king Philip VI in 1349.
- In the 14th century, Montpellier gained a church (not yet a cathedral) dedicated to Saint Peter, 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 neighboring community of Montpelliéret (eventually absorbed into Montpellier proper).
- In 1432, Jacques Coeur established himself in the city and it became an important economic centre, until 1481 when Marseille took over this role.
Reformation until present
- At the time of the Reformation in the 16th century, many of its inhabitants became Protestants (or Huguenots as they were known in France) and it became a stronghold of Protestant resistance to the (mainly Catholic) French crown.
- In 1622, King Louis XIII besieged the city and took it after eight months, building the citadel 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.