MONTPELLIER, moil-pel-le-a, France, chief town of the department of Herauli, on the Lez, six miles north of the Mediterranean, and 80 miles northwest of Marseilles. It is one of the handsomest towns of the south of France and with its equable climate a favorite tourist and winter resort for invalids. Among its noteworthy features are the Peyrou, a splen did promenade, on which is the Chateau d'Eau, at the termination of a lofty double arched aqueduct; the citadel; the cathedral; the Palais-de-Justice; the university buildings, and Porte de Peyrou, a triumphal arch of the Doric order. Montpellier is well equipped with educational and other institutions, and since the 12th century has been famous for its school of medicine, said to have been founded by Arab physicians driven out of Spain. It is now merged in the celebrated University of Mont pellier, dating from 1289, which has also *facul ties* of law, science and literature, and an average annual attendance of 1,500 students; there is a public library of 130,000 volumes.
The botanical garden, begun under Henri IV in 1593, is the oldest in France. Montpellier manufactures cottons, candles, soap, verdigris, chemicals, etc. It carries on an active trade, Cette serving as its harbor. Montpellier dates from the 8th century as a village built around a Benedictine abbey. It was a stronghold of the Huguenots, and suffered much in the reli gious wars. The edict of Montpellier (20 Oct. 1622) granted the free exercise of their reli gion to Protestants, and confirmed the Edict of Nantes. The philosopher Comte was one of Montpellier's distinguished sons. Pop. about 80,250.