The "Écusson" districtMontpellier historical centre

The “Écusson”, historical centre

The Écusson is the name given to the historical centre of Montpellier, because of the Écu shape of this district built in the Middle Ages, whose wall was bordered by ditches.

arc de triomphe de nuit vertical Montpellier

History

It all began in 985, when Montpellier was founded.
In the past, a drawbridge allowed entry into the Écusson at the Porte du Peyrou. Today, the Tour des Pins, the Tour de la Babote and the Porte de la Blanquière remain the only evidence of the fortifications that protected the city from the 12th century onwards.

An extraordinary labyrinth of narrow streets

From the Place de la Comédie to the Place du Peyrou, let’s go on a journey through a thousand years of history through the maze of medieval streets. The heart of Montpellier is essentially pedestrian and that’s nice!

Within the Ecusson, you will find unusual shops, friendly restaurants and numerous reminders of the city’s rich history. Examples of this are the Saint-Roch well, nestled in the Erbé shop, in the ‘la Loge’ street, the Saint-Côme anatomy amphitheatre where the first dissections in France took place and the Mikvé, one of the oldest in Europe, which accommodated the Jewish ritual baths.