Dordogne and Lot Attractions
Montauban arcade © Ceridwen
Montauban
Montauban lies on the banks of the River Tarn, 50 miles (80km)
north of Toulouse and is one of the most ancient cities in
southwest France. Its origins date from 1144 when the count of
Toulouse decided to create a
bastide here as a bulwark
against English and French royal power. The genius of the original
medieval town plan is still obvious in the lovely town centre, and
though the suburbs now sprawl way beyond the old core, the city is
still dominated by the fortified Eglise St-Jacques fort and the
14th-century brick bridge, Pont Vieux. The artist
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) was born in Montauban and
many of his works now hang in Musée Ingres, situated in the
old 17th-century Bishops Palace, including The
Dream of
Ossian, originally intended for Napoleon's bedroom in Rome.
