The epic of Montreal du Gers

1255
The construction of the city-state, first comprised in the county of Toulouse, then passed on to the French crown during the reign of Philip the Bold.

1320
Montréal is ruled by the crown of England, like other cities of the Duchy of Guyenne.

1350
Charles the Bad, King of Navarre, sits in Montréal, accompanied by the aristocracy and all the militias assembled in Condom.

1368
Charles V gives away Montréal to the Count of Armagnac.

1491
Serious contestations oppose the population and both Amanieu de Montesquieu and the Lord of Lagraulet.

1520
Bishop Jean Marre raises a capital. One can still see his coat of arms in the keystone of the purgatory chapel. His remains will rest here until the religious wars.

1565
Montgomery, protestant leader, burns down the city under the authority of Jean de Navarre, leaving only a half deserted fortified town and the ruins of the Saint Orens basilica.

Three centuries have passed and the proud ‘bastide’ (fortified town) stands more than ever.