Montélimar

Montélimar “Doors of Provence” (in traditional Occitan Montelaimar , Vivaro-alpine Montelh-Aimar in ) is a Commune Frenchwoman located in the department of the Drome is the area the Rhone-Alps between Valence and Avignon.

Its inhabitants is called the Montiliens and Montiliennes .

Geography

Montélimar is located in the average valley of the the Rhone at the confluence of the rivers Jabron and Roubion on the headlands of Géry and Narbonne from where one controls all the plain of the Vallée of the Rhone.

It is a tourist city located at the doors of the Provence, close to the Gorges of Ardeche and to the foot of the Vercors.

It is at approximately 42 minutes of Valence, 1:00 of Avignon, 1:30 of Lyon and the the Alps, of Marseilles, Grenoble, Montpellier and the Mediterranean.

The basin of Montélimar extends from the procession of Cruas - Meysse in north to the procession of Donzère in the south and on the plain from Valdaine and its buttresses.

Montélimar is the northern door of the Provence. Its ecosystem is a mixture of Dauphiné and Provence.

History

Prehistory

The human presence with the site of Montélimar is very old. The first traces are a whole of cut flint going back to -50000 years (time of the Moustérien).

The site of Gournier is occupied from -6000 (Mesolithic era). Civilization chasséenne develops to with it from -3600 years. Gournier is one of the outstanding places.

Antiquity

After the arrival of the Celtic , Montélimar becomes the territory of the Ségovéllaunes. The capital of this Celtic tribe is positioned on the two headlands of the city: the oppidum of Géry, place of the old confluence of Jabron and Roubion, and on the end of the coast of Narbonne.

Under the influence of the Roman domination, the site of Géry (Durio of its Latin name) is gradually abandoned with the profit of the new city to the site of the current center town of Montélimar. The city changes name: it is now associated with Acunum the relay of station installed close to the bridge on Roubion and which is announced by the Table of Peutinger. The Via Agrippa is used as information system strategic plan at the city to develop: one finds there a forum, a civil basilica and thermal baths. The small town is fed out of water by three aqueducts of which a dessert hydropathic establishment of Bondonneau where a hundred small swimming pools was found.

During the great invasions the city will separate in two distinct entities: the new city around the forum and of the headland of Narbonne and Acunum which will strengthen the bridge on Roubion.

The Middle Ages

During several centuries of which we know only few things, the area of Montélimar passed with hands in hands (kingdom Burgonde, Franc kingdom, Counts of Valentinois, kingdom of Provence).

At the end of XIe century, one sees appearing the family Adhémar, undoubtedly originating in the Royans and which little by little assoit its authority on the area. Guillaume-Hugues Adhémar is the first lord of Montélimar (" lord of Monteil"). He is the brother of Adhémar, bishop of Puy and Légat of the Pape for the first Croisade. The family will reign on the area of Montélimar until XIIIe century. Adhémar make build their palate (XIIe century) on the headland of Narbonne in the place of an old castle.

Adhémar will build around their stronghold of many castles (Grignan, the Châteauneuf-of-Rhone, Rochemaure and the Guard-Adhémar). The seigniory will count with its apogee about thirty castles.

In 1198 the seigniory is divided between two brothers, Giraud and Lambert Adhémar.

As of the medium of XIIe century, the city of Adhémar is indicated under the name of " Monteil of Aimar". The final form goes back to 1328.

In 1365 part of the city (which is a Co-seigniory) passes under the protection of papacy. The Pope makes renovate the palate seigneurial and maintain the ramparts.

In 1447 it is the Dolphin, the future Louis XI which becomes Master of the city and its castle.

In 1562, the city is taken and plundered by the baron of the Adrets, the garrison is killed to avenge the massacres for Orange.

Blasonnement

The blazon represents a surmounted papal bubble of a cross.

Administration

|- | colspan=" 3" align=" center" | |-

| align=right| 1787 1790 || Jean-Louis Cheynet ||||Mayor, deputy with the General states || |- | align=right| 1852 1861 ||Jean-Eugene Chabaud||||Mayor || |- | align=right| 1865 1869 ||Louis-Augustin Marre-Desmarais|||| Mayor || |- | align=right| fév-sept 1870 ||Louis-César Grasset |||| Mayor || |- | align=right| 7-28 seven 1870 ||Mr. Josserand |||| Mayor || |- | align=right| 1870 1899 || Emile Loubet |||| Mayor || |- | align=right| 1899 1908 ||Paul Gauthier |||| Mayor || |- | align=right| 1908 1925 ||Ferdinand Ravisa |||| Mayor || |- | align=right| 1925 1935 ||Roger Chancel |||| Mayor || |- | align=right| 1935 1944 ||Edouard Tardieu |||| Mayor || |- | align=right| 1944 1945 ||Marius Spezini|| SFIO || Mayor || |- | align=right| 1945 1947 ||Raymond Crozier|||| Mayor || |- | align=right| 1947 1953 ||Marius Spezini|| SFIO || Mayor || |- | align=right| 1953 1958 ||Louis Chancel|| RAD || Mayor || |- | align=right| 1958 1959 ||Me Rabatel|||| Mayor || |- | align=right| 1959 1989 || Maurice Peak || PS || Mayor || |- | align=right| 1989 1999 || Thierry Cornillet || UDF-RAD || Mayor || |- | align=right| 1999 2001 ||Andre Orts|| RPR || Mayor || |- | align=right| 2001 - || Franck Reynier || UMP || Mayor || |}

Demography

Transport

The city is located in the Rhone-native furrow, which gets to him an easy access to many infrastructures.

Railways
Montélimar has a station the SNCF. Until the arrival of the TGV in the Valley of the Rhone, certain express trains stopped there. Since the installation of the service road by TGV, they are 4 AR daily newspapers towards Paris which is assured. The startup of line TGV the Mediterranean in June 2001 saw being born a service road specific to the Valley from the Rhone, serving Valence-City, Montélimar, Orange, Avignon-City, Arles and Miramas, since the TGV for Marseilles and Montpellier circulate now on a way dedicated to a few kilometers in the east of the ville.
A project of station on line TGV the Mediterranean exists in Allan (near the highway exchanger Montélimar-South). This station would then see referring part of the service roads currently existing on the traditional line. However, of the discussions are in hand in order to improve the service road of this new station (connection FOR THE THIRD TIME, service road since the south of Ardeche…).

Roads and Autoroute
Montélimar is located at the intersection of the Trunk road 7 (Lyon-Valence/Avignon-Aix) and of the Trunk road 102 (Aubenas it Puy-Clermont), one of the principal ways of crossing of the Massif Central. However, it is well the first which marked the city the most, that it is by the famous " bouchons" in the years 1960 or by the packing of the traditional nougats in a box in the kilometric shape of terminal " N7". The opening of a deviation Heavy trucks (integrated later in the RN7) and of the highway A7 about 1968 made it possible to reduce the congestions appreciably.

Ways of water
The city is located near the the Rhone. The derivation of Montélimar between Rochemaure and the Châteauneuf-of-Rhone built at the end of the years 1950 contributed to the navigability of the Rhone. Even if a quay were established along the channel, the use of the water way on departure or arrival of Montélimar remains weak.

Aerodrome
An aerodrome of tourism exists in Montélimar-Ancône (north-western of the city). It is in particular known for its " Museum European of the Aviation of Chasse".

Urban transport
Since 1988, an urban grid system developed gradually. At the beginning of 2007, this network " Montélibus" comprise 5 regular lines. Renault R312 circulates on the network <>. It was sold by the RATP.

Places and monuments

the Palate of Candies and the Nougat
the Château of Adhémar is an important example of medieval architecture of the average Vallée of the Rhone. Among its architectural elements: a vault of the 11th century and a home of the 12th century to the exceptional decoration.
the tower of Narbonne
the carries Saint Martin
the house known as " Diane de Poitiers"
Museum of the Miniature
Center of contemporary art (in the castle of Adhémar)
the temple of Montélimar History
the Station of Montélimar

Economy

the city has an antenna of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Drome.

Events

Montélimar accommodated the Tour de France the July 15th and 16th 2006 (arrived and departure). Details of the stages:

Béziers-Montélimar
Montélimar-Gap

Speciality

The great speciality of the city is the Nougat, a confectionery containing honey and of almonds, very near to the Spanish Turrón.

Twinning

Wales Aberdale Wales
the United States Root (Wisconsin), E. - U. in progress
Germany Ravensburg, Baden wutenberg, Germany
Tunisia Nabeul, Tunisia
Italy Rivoli, Piedmont, Italy

Personalities

Jean-Louis Cheynet, lawyer at the Parliament of Grenoble, lawyer of the king then lawyer (1785) in the seneschalsy of Montélimar, mayor of Montélimar of January 1787 to 1790, appointed Dauphine with the General states of 1789 then appointed of Drome to the constituent Assembly, there was born in 1741 and died in 1809.
Margot Waters, of its true name, Marguerite Catherine Ponsoye. Heroin montilienne which saved the city in April 1570.
Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet, geologist and geographer French, was born there on August 8th 1779.
Emile Loubet, deputy and mayor, president of the Senate and president of the French Republic, died there on December 20th 1929.
Marianne James, of his true name Marianne Gandolfi, a famous composer-songwriter interprets and French guitarist, was born on February 18th 1962 there.
François Hilarion Not, general of Napoleon i, killed with the head of its pomegranates attacking the bridge of Popoli (born the April 14th 1759 with Montélimar and died the December 24th 1798 with Popoli).
Charles Moulin (1909-1992), whose most famous role was that of the not very scrupulous lover in the Woman of the baker, with Raimu.

Gallery

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