History of the Midday-Pyrenees

Instituted under the V^e Republic, the area ''' the Midday-Pyrenees ''' is a French administrative area of eight southernmost departments, centered on Toulouse which is the préfecture.
The area the Midday-Pyrenees east with horse on the provinces of the Old Mode of the Languedoc (managed by the intendant of Montpellier) and of the Gascogne (with Auch) - both pennies the spring of the Parliament of Toulouse - but differs somewhat from these provinces :

the Midi is amputee of Mediterranean Low-Languedoc, from which the influences and historical aspirations came from the area, which involves a translation of the radiation of the antique Narbonnaise of Narbonne towards Toulouse.

the the Pyrenees are cut down by Collioure, the Massif of Albères (which gave the name to the chain through the Greek Mythologie, to see Pyrène , Hercules and Cerbère ) and of the Béarn (formerly attached to the Pyrenean states Gascons of Foix, of the Comminges, the Bigorre and the Armagnac) of intrepid the Gaston Phébus.

It is the Latin crucible more of French civilization. The persistence of the Roman impregnation, developed in the culture known as Occitan E, visible in the layout of the ancient laces of the Pyrenean collars of the Tour de France as well as in the landscapes of the Vineyard S of Gaillac and Cahors or even in the anecdotic history of the Roquefort, already known Roman Emperors: a celebrated which has turned out badly following a very romantic history…

Prehistory

The mandible of Montmaurin during a time was regarded as the French human fossil oldest. Its age however was re-examined with the fall and is estimated today at approximately 130.000 years before the present. Allotted to an antiquated form of Man of Néandertal, it remains one of the oldest human fossils discovered on the territory of the Midday-Pyrenees.

All the periods of the Préhistoire are present, since the Acheuléen known by many sites of the terraces of the the Garonne and Tarn. The Paléolithique means is also well represented, in the Quercy (Coudoulous, Borders It), in Aveyron (Rescoundudou) or in Pyrenean Piedmont (Mauran, Grotte of the Hazel tree).

The Paléolithique superior of the area counts a certain number of decorated caves and major sites: Niaux, Farmhouse-with Azil, Pech-Blackbird, Gargas… enigmatic and disconcerting the Venus de Lespugue (approximately 22.000 front JC), discovered in Haute-Garonne, translated an artistic degree of refinement very évolué.
The village of Aurignac also gave its name to the baptized prehistoric culture Aurignacien .

The toponymy of the place names shows the possibility for roots of spoken languages in the Pyrenees and resulting from these prehistoric civilizations; these traces remain can be in mysterious the language Basque : with the source S of the the Garonne, the Valley of Aran , the valley of the valleys! (of the Basque haran : valley), is an example.

Antiquity

The transition with the historical period is difficult to describe, the influences of the various invasions are superimposed and amalgamated to constitute the old funds Gaulois. The port of Collioure is the example even of this stacking of influences: its oldest denomination, Pyrene (which gave their name to the mountains the Pyrenees), was Greek, and it was then modified by the Ibères. The latter, come from North Africa founded since Ibéria (Lérida) of new cities, like Elimberris (Auch). One will speak about civilization " Celtibère" . Greek parts pre-Romans are found to the foot of the Pyrenees and testify to the influence of the Phocéen S established with Agde and Leucate. Their enemies, the Gallic Arvernes, were to populate the north of the area.

Remain that in a completely unexplained way the pools of population prevailing is of type Ligures and seems to still find by impregnation with the accent known as of the South .

Towards the end of III^e century before J. - C., Celtic people , the Volques , takes its districts in the area going of the the Rhone to the the Garonne, and of the the Cevennes to the the Pyrenees, and one then attends a first structuring of the territory. They have as capitals Toulouse and Nimes. As of the first century before J. - C, they make a pact with the Romans; Narbonne is created to pacify the province and becomes the capital of the Narbonnaise . Toulouse ( Tolosa , -125) and Saint-Bertrand-with-Comminges ( Lugdunum convenarum , -72) is urbanized and becomes large hearths of romanisation. Very old cities are essential in the Roman administration of the territory: Cahors, Auch, Eauze, Albi… The area, like one the third of the Gaulle, is christianized by Saint Sernin (Saturnin) of Greek origin, which was martyrisé in Toulouse into 250, trailed attached to a bull planned for a pagan sacrifice. The Capitole, the Notre-Dame Church of Taur and the Basilique Saint-Sernin are the Toulouse monuments located on the course of the torment.

At the beginning of the fifth century an invasion by the Vandales takes place. A few years later, the Visigoths are essential, and the Romans give up the guard of the territory to them. The Royaume Visigoth occupies soon one the southern third of Gaulle, then the Spain. Toulouse plays the part of capital and thus saw a small century of gold (V^e century); remain of this legendary period the Mythe of the Reine Pédauque , which would have made build the Basilique of the Sea-bream.

Contrary to other invaders, the Visigoths do not make clean slate of the institutions and promulgate the continuity of the Roman law, the Bréviaire of Alaric . The persistence of the positive Roman law will allow the continuity of an high degree of civilization. The Languedoc will profit thus from an attenuated feudal right which will allow the emergence of a middle-class of City. In XVI^e century, Toulouse the Cujas will teach with eloquence this old wire of Roman law . Unfortunately the Visigoths are followers of a Hérésie Eastern known as of Arius , which develops a Christianity calling into question the divine nature of the Christ. This heresy will lead Clovis, in VI^e century, to federate the Francs to annex the area. Follows then a turbid long period during which the area is dispersed: Septimanie around Narbonne, still under domination Wisigothe then Moor in 719, and Novempopulanie in Gascogne.

The Middle Ages

In 778, in order to federate the Hispanic reconquest, Charlemagne creates the kingdom of Aquitaine, including all the south of the Rhone to the Atlantique, with for capital Toulouse. It will bequeath it to one of its sons, Louis I^er says the Piles (778- † 840), king of Aquitaine (781-814), emperor of Occident (814-840) (one speaks then about Francie Western). The administration of this immense territory is entrusted to the Counts de Toulouse. Consequently, the dynasty of the Counts de Toulouse will have of cease only to push back the Moors , and to reconquer the territories to reconstitute a Narbonnaise . From this feudal competition will be born the Languedoc, of the Garonne in the Rhone, Toulouse to Saint-Gilles. Raymond IV known as Raimond de Saint Gilles (1042-1115) will achieve by marriage the goal by increasing its state in the county of Rouergue, of Nimes, Narbonne, the Gévaudan, of Agde, of Béziers and Uzès. It will be one of the main actors of the first Croisade by taking share with the catch of Jerusalem in 1099, and it will found the kingdom of Tripoli (Lebanon) in 1102. From this contact with the East will be born a true civilization today, known as Occitane , Troubadour S, Courtly love … (see Occitanie ). This expansion will let appear the heresy Cathare , which one could reproach the subversion of the Christian dualism that she recommends, opponent spirit and matter. Starting from the twelfth century, the Catholic church represses violently the Cathare S. the order begging for the preaching friars is created in Toulouse by Saint Dominique, to give the example of a new faith. In order to testify to this rebirth, the Relique S of the theologist Saint Thomas d' Aquin are exposed to Toulouse in the church of the Jacobins, splendid testimony of Gothic architecture Languedocien. The heresy serves as a pretext for the King de France to annex the southernmost areas by starting the Albigensian Crusade (1208-1229):

- Battle of Low wall, September 12th, 1213.

- Toulouse is besieged by Simon IV of Montfort and taken in 1215.

- the last hearth cathare, Montségur, fall in 1244.

In 1222 creation of the first country house of Cords, and in 1229 creation of the university of Toulouse.

In 1229, Alphonse of Poitiers - wire of Louis VIII and brother of Louis IX, king de France - inherits the Comté of Toulouse while marrying with Jeanne, the girl of the Count de Toulouse Raymond VII. In 1271 the county of Toulouse east associated with the crown. With died of Jeanne, without child, the area is managed on behalf of king de France by three sénauchées : Toulouse, Carcassonne and Beaucaire .

From there royal Languedoc is born the , which will persist until the French revolution , preserving its habits, its language and a specific administration. Languedoc, one of the first large provinces attached to the crown, loses its autonomy then, but deeply will influence by its Latin culture a royal Ile de France still marked by its dynasties of Germanic Francs. The province will remain always guarantor of the cohesion of the royal territory, during the most turbid time as the Guerre One hundred Year old during which it will push back the English domination in Aquitaine, just like in front of the pressures of the Empire Romain Germanique on banks of the Rhone, that it will contain.

1277: the construction of the Cathédrale of Albi begins.

1324: creation in Toulouse of the Academy of Merry Saber.

1337: beginning of the War One hundred Year old.

1348: epidemic of Plague in all the South.

1443: creation of the Parliament of Toulouse, which is legal competent on the extent of the current areas of the Midday-Pyrenees plus Languedoc, the Ardèche and the Puy-en-Velay. An immense area Midday to some extent.

Modern time

1543: construction of the new bridge of Toulouse.

1555: construction in Toulouse of the hotel of Assezat. Architect Nicolas Graduate . Three orders traditional of architecture Rebirth.

XVI^e century: the Pastel, the Huguenot S…

1601 - 1665: Fermat, adviser at the Parliament of Toulouse, Mathematician.

1610 - 1673: D' Artagnan, Musketeer of the king.

1647 - 1706: Pierre Bayle, Philosopher emigrated. 1666 - 1688: digging of the Channel of the South, channel royal of Languedoc, connecting Toulouse to Sète, classified with the world heritage of UNESCO, built by Pierre-Paul Riquet (Bézier 1604 Toulouse 1680).

The expression Midi was to charm the Sun king to indicate according to the Méridien of Paris the province of Languedoc where the sun is with the zenith when it is midday with Paris as with Versailles.

1741 - 1788: Perugia, Albi, Exploring navigator .

1762: the Affaire Fixed, Voltaire… 1790 - 1791: removal of the Parliaments, creation of the departments.

1748 - 1793: Marie Gouze, more known under the name of Olympe de Gouges, Montauban, Feminist victim of terror.

1772 - 1840: Jean-Etienne Esquirol, Doctor mental specialist, Humanistic.

1769 - 1851: Nicolas Jean-of-God Soult, Holy Mercies-Soult, marshal of empire.

1780 - 1867: Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Montauban, painter.

1811 - 1872: Théophile Gautier, Tarbes, writer.

1856: Station Matabiau, Toulouse.

1844 - 1879: Holy-Bernadette, Heavy.

1835 - 1921: Emile Combes, known as the small Combes father, Roquecourbe, politician (law on the separation of the Church and the State)

1845 - 1924: Gabriel Fauré, Pamiers, type-setter musician.

1838 - 1882: Gambetta, Cahors.

1859 - 1914: Jean Jaurès, Castrate.

1870: the dispatch of Toulouse, the Dispatch of the South, republicanism.

1861 - 1929: Antoine Bourdelle, Sculptor, Montauban.

1864 - 1901: Henri of Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi, painter.

1872 - 1921: Déodat de Séverac, Type-setter, Musician.

1854 - 1941: Paul Sabatier, (Carcassonne Toulouse), Nobel Prize of chemistry 1912.

1841 - 1925: Clement Ader, (Toulouse Low wall), Eole. " The Plane ".

1914 - 1918: Three marshals of Pyrenean fastener, Foch, Joffre and Galliéni.

1883 - 1943: Latécoère: the Aeronautical engineering with Montaudran.

1919/1929: The Air-mail ligne/l' : Saint Exupéry, Mermoz, Didier Daurat…

1863 - 1937: Gaston Doumergue President of the Republic 1924-1931, expensive Gardois with the inhabitants of Tournefeuille.

1870 - 1956: Monseigneur Saliège cardinal Jules, Archbishop of Toulouse. 1884 - 1966: Vincent Auriol, President of the Republic 1947-1954.

1955: Caravel, first flight, “the Plane with reaction French civilian”.

1968: creation by the general De Gaulle of the Space center of CNES in Toulouse. Space industry.

1969: Harmony, first flight, “the civil supersonic aircraft”.

1970: Airbus, December 18th creation of the GIE Free Germanic Airbus

1972: Airbus A300, first flight

1989: Discovered Cave of Bruniquel.

2005: Airbus A380, first flight, “the largest civil aircraft passengers”.

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