| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
| Contents | ||
The city is situated on hilly ground 10 km (6 miles) inland from the Mediterranean coast at the coordinates 43°37N 3°52E, on the River Lez . The name of the city, 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) [1]. It is a major industrial centre, producing textiles, metal goods, wine, printed materials and chemicals.
Montpellier is one of the few cities in France that does not have a Roman background. In the early Middle Ages the nearby episcopal town of Maguelone was the major settlement in the area, but raids by pirates probably encouraged settlement a little further inland. The city was founded in the 8th century but came to prominence in the 10th century as a trading centre under the rule of the counts of Toulouse. It became a possession of the kings of Aragon by the marriage of Peter II of Aragon with Mary of Montpellier . James III of Majorca sold the city to the French king Philip VI to raise funds for his ongoing struggle with Peter IV of AragonPeter IV of Aragon ( 1319- 1387), king of Aragon ( 1336- 1387), the Ceremonious or el del punyalet (the one of the little dagger). He deposed the kings of Majorca and rejoined the Balearic Islands and Roussillon under the crown of Aragon. He wrote the Chr.
At the time of the Reformation, 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 1622Events January 1 In the Gregorian calendar, January 1 is declared as the first day of the year, instead of March 25. February 8 King James I of England disbands the English Parliament. March 22 In the Jamestown massacre, Algonquian Indians kill 347 Englis, King Louis XIIILouis XIII ( September 27 1601 May 14 1643) was King of France from 1610 to 1643. Born at the Chateau de Fontainebleau, Louis was the first child of Henri IV and Marie de Medicis. He ascended to the throne at age nine after the assassination of his father beseiged the city and took it after eight months. During the 19th centuryAlternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical ( 18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801- 1900. Events The Little Ice Age ended the city developed into an industrial centre. In the 1960sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around, its population grew dramatically after French settlers in Algeria were resettled in the city following Algeria's independence from France.