Place de la Canourgue (Canourgue Square), Montpellier

Place de la Canourgue (Canourgue Square), Montpellier

Canourque Square is the oldest, most pleasant square in Montpellier. It was developed over the ruins of a church. It is located in the old city. It is bordered in the north by St. Pierre Street, in the east by City Hall Street and in the south and west by Sainte-Croix Street.

In 1129, Guilhem VI, Lord of Montpellier, chose to build his palace and an oratory on the future site of the Canourgue Street. Guilhem placed a piece of the true cross in his oratory. The oratory was destroyed during the religious wars in 1562.

The Confraternity of White Penitents rebuilt the sanctuary. This chapel was also destroyed in another war of religion. The Penitents decided to place Guilhem's True Cross on a stone column instead and that was destroyed in 1791.

The Fountain of Unicorns, created in 1776, was transferred to the square in 1863. The sculptures on the fountain are struggling sea horses and unicorns and a human figure. The memorial is in honor of the Marquis de Castries for his victory in the Battle of Clostercamp in 1760.

Today the square is lined with buildings from the 17th century. The replacement for the stone column of the True Cross, destroyed in 1791, can be seen in the square.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Montpellier. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Place de la Canourgue (Canourgue Square) on Map

Sight Name: Place de la Canourgue (Canourgue Square)
Sight Location: Montpellier, France (See walking tours in Montpellier)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Montpellier, France

Create Your Own Walk in Montpellier

Create Your Own Walk in Montpellier

Creating your own self-guided walk in Montpellier is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Murals and Street Art Walk

Murals and Street Art Walk

For those unaware, sunny Montpellier is more than just a quick getaway with a beautiful blue sky, sunshine, Mediterranean vibes and southern architecture. In fact, Montpellier is one of the few cities in France where all forms of street art, from elaborate murals to little gems that a passersby might not even notice right away, are found in rich supply, practically on every side street.

The...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles
Montpellier Introduction Walking Tour

Montpellier Introduction Walking Tour

The trouble with living in a pleasant seaside town in the middle ages was pirates. This was especially true for the town of Maguelone on the south shore of present-day France. A settlement more inland was combined with Maguelone under the feudal dynasty of Guilhem in 985. They added a castle and walls and called it Montpellier.

Montpellier was an important trading center in the 12th century and...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles