History
The origins of Montpellier's Archives date back to the 13th century. It is linked to the emergence of two institutions: the Commune Clôture, an administration responsible for building, maintaining and defending the city's fortifications (1196), and the Consulate, a municipal administration run by "consuls" from 1204.
The archivists' first work was aimed at preserving documents useful to the smooth running of the institutions. Long kept in the Maison consulaire, then within the Town Hall, Montpellier's archives were moved in 1886 to the Tour des Pins on boulevard Henri-IV. In 2000, the Montpellier Archives moved to the current médiathèque centrale Émile Zola.
The Montpellier Archives bring together the holdings of the City and Metropolis. Bringing together numerous physical or digitized works and documents, they constitute the memory of the territory.
Within the "magasin", nearly 14 km of archives are preserved. Some treasures date back to medieval times, sometimes sealed with lead or wax. The oldest document dates back to 1148, and refers to the donation of lepers from the Pont de Castelnau to the Hôpital Saint-Lazare.
Archives bear witness to Montpellier's administrative, cultural, economic, academic and religious activities, and some are particularly prestigious! Some documents are particularly prestigious!
Archives reading room
The Archives reading room is available free of charge by appointment, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10am to 4:30pm. On site, a team of archivists and documentalists is on hand to guide and inform users. The service is open to all: genealogists, jurists, historians, sociologists, town planners, architects or the simply curious.
Please note: for conservation reasons, certain works and documents can only be consulted by certain categories of specialists: historians, researchers...
Many items are also digitized, to facilitate access to information. An online database allows you to consult the notices describing each archive, and gives access to digital documents.
Historical bulletin
Since 1982, the archives department has published Le Bulletin Historique de la Ville de Montpellier once a year. It consists of scientific or historical articles, often produced by experts and researchers.
The Bulletin also evokes the department's latest news: events, figures, actions...
Events
Exhibitions, meetings, conferences... The Montpellier Archives department regularly organizes events to promote the city's documentary holdings and history.
Some examples of events: Journées Internationales des Archives, Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, Commémorations nationales, Collectes, Trésors d'archives de la ville de Montpellier... Virtual exhibitions are also available.