GAILLAC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillac
History
Gaillac is a town situated between Toulouse, Albi and Monatauban. It has gained a large amount of recognition due to the wines that bear the towns name.
The town was founded in the Second Century AD by the Gauls who created a river port where they exported their wine into Gallia Narbonensis. When Aquitane was taken by Rome, Gaillac gained prosperity with its wine. However, great invasions annihilated the town and left nothing behind. It was only until the monks of Saint-Michel gained viticulture privileges from the Bishop of Albi, in 972 that the population stabilised and Gaillac started to become a town. Their wines were at first sent to Bordeaux where they would be exported to England. The Abbey of St.Michel was constructed in the 10th century AD and in 1271, the Abbey was reconstructed. In 1524 the abbey was secularised but the title of abbey was kept.
During the religious wars, the "Gaillacois" refused to change their religion and remained Catholics and were chased out of the town by Protestants. They refugied at Castelnau-de-Montmiral. After the massacre of Saint-Barthelemy on 24 August 1572 in Paris, the Gaillacois massacred the Protestants, 74 out of the 90 in the town. The abbey was once again reconstructed between 1572-1620. In the seventeenth century the Chateau of Foucaud was built.
It was from the town of Gaillac that Louis-Phillippe I addressed the words:
Nous chercherons à nous tenir dans un juste milieu, également éloigné des excès du pouvoir populaire et des abus du pouvoir royal.
Which translates as: "We search to keep ourselves in just surroundings, equally separated of the excess of power and popularity and the abuse of said royal power." This sentence would define the July Monarchy.
Monuments
The saint michel abbey
The abbey church Saint Michel is known for the Xth century. It is attested that in 972 a community Benedictine is present who introduced the agricultural and economic development from the exploitation of the vineyard and the commercial traffic of the wine on the Tarn. The abbey is partially reconstructed in 1271. In 1524, It is deconsecrated, a chapter of canon replaces the community, but the title abbatial is preserved. Destroyed by the Protestants twice, the building is reconstructed and decorated again from 1570 till 1620. It is in 1849 when the north entrance being closed, the other one is opened on the west wall where we stick a neo-Romanic portal (work of Alexandre du Mège). Big works of restoration) since the end of the XIXth century were begun until the complete renovation of the abbatial buildings in the 1990s.
Around
On the other side of the Tarn, is the archéosite of Montans, a museum which redraws the past of this village established by Romain. As well as Archéocrypte to Lagrave.
