History of Montargis

Montargis is located at the foot of a high slope from where the spectator dominates all the surrounding countryside; it was in this place, said some legend, that Junon, the jealous goddess, had placed the Argus shepherd for there épier unhappy Ion his rival; from there naturally the legendary etymology of Mons Argi. As for the name Morita Regulo , it would have a more historical origin; César, in its Commentaires , mentioned a small king of this country called Moritas, which would have, says one, given his name to the city. At all events, Montargis is an extremely old city; it is certain that at the time of frank king Clovis there existed on its site a tower intended to protect the country against the foreign invasions.

The first lord of Montargis which is known is Josselin, lord de Courtenay, who was contemporary of king Robert. Pierre, fourth wire of Louis the Large, married Isabeau de Courtenay and accepted the county in dowry; he increased and strengthened the castle, and, to attract inhabitants with Montargis, he granted in 1170, at all those which would reside in this city, a charter of frankness by which he exempted them of all sizes and drudgeries, except the carroi of the wine of the lord and the dîme of a rye minot for each plowman cultivating with a plow; moreover it guarantees to the inhabitants the possession of their properties, some crime which they could make, and establishes of great safeties for the merchants who attended the fairs of Montargis. In 1188, Pierre yielded this city to Philippe-Auguste.

The king Philippe Beautiful the confirmed at this city his privileges, and, about this time, this one took a great increase.

The inhabitants of Montargis were distinguished particularly in 1427 against the English. The counts de Warwick and Suffolk, ordering an army corps, besieged this place; the inhabitants opposed a courageous resistance; they broke the dams of several vast ponds which were in the surroundings and dominated the English camp. Great number of enemies were drowned; Hire and Dunois occurred in the middle of the disorder which the sudden irruption of water had thrown among the English and massacred some a great number. Charles VII rewarded the city liberally where, according to its own expression, the first term of its happiness had been; it granted to him, in 1430, of great exemptions and the privileges with the title of Montargis-the-Franc. The city at that time increases island of Amadoux, which rose in the middle of Loing. In 1431, an English captain named the Aragonese seized Montargis, but it was driven out by it by Trémouille the following year.

In 1490, Charles VIII exempted the inhabitants of the frank stronghold, the whole crowd and. It is at that time that one places the adventure of the famous dog of Montargis; this history is known too much and was too often written so that we tell the details of them; we will be satisfied to recall that a malicious knight, Macaire, which had made perish a young gentleman, Aubry de Montdidier, were embanked in singular combat by the dog of his victim.

Louis XII, while arriving at the throne, again joins together with the crown the town of Montargis, which had been included/understood in the duchy of Orleans.

François Ier engaged Montargis, in 1528, with his/her sister-in-law Renee de France, girl of Louis XII. This princess withdrew herself after the death of her husband, the duke of Ferrare, embraced the reformed religion and protected her co-religionists there there. In 1570, in spite of the authorities of the inhabitants so that their city remained attached to the crown, Charles IX confirmed with perpetuity in favor of Anne d' Este, girl of Renee de France, the engagement authorized by François Ier.

In 1585, the castle was surprised by the cardinal of Bourbon, which had revolted against Henri III.

In 1594, the city and the castle subjected to Henri IV.

Marie de Médicis, woman of this king, repurchased in 1612 Montargis of the dukes of Own way and Mayenne, grandsons of Anne d' Este, duchess of Nemours.

Included/understood in the prerogative of Gaston, brother of Louis XIII, the city passed, under Louis XIV, in that of Philippe of Orleans.

See too

Sources

Primary source: illustrated France , by Malta-Brown V.A. (Jules Deck house editor, 1882)

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