Quercy (French: [kɛʁsi] ( 
listen ); Occitan : Carcin [kaɾˈsi] , locally [kɔɾˈʃi] ) is a former province of France located in the country's southwest, bounded on the north by Limousin, on the west by Périgord and Agenais, on the south by Gascony and Languedoc, and on the east by Rouergue and Auvergne.
Quercy comprised the present-day department of Lot, the northern half of the department of Tarn-et-Garonne, and a few communities in the departments of Dordogne, Corrèze, and Aveyron. The traditional capital of Quercy is Cahors, now prefecture (capital) of Lot. The largest town of Quercy is Montauban, prefecture of Tarn-et-Garonne. However, Montauban lies at the traditional border between Quercy and Languedoc, in an area very different from the rest of Quercy, and it is closer historically and culturally to Toulouse and the rest of Languedoc, therefore it should be considered a special case, not totally part of Quercy. Also distinct from the rest of the region is the Quercy Blanc lying between Cahors and the southern boundary of Lot, characterised by its white limestone buildings.
Quercy has a land area of 6,987 km2 (2,698 sq. miles). At the 1999 census there were 275,984 inhabitants on the territory of the former province of Quercy, which means a density of 40 inh. per km2 (102 inh. per sq. mile). However, if Montauban is not included inside Quercy, then the total population of Quercy in 1999 was 224,129 inhabitants, and the density was only 33 inh. per km2 (85 inh. per sq. mile). The largest urban areas in Quercy are Montauban, with 51,855 inhabitants in 1999, Cahors, with 23,128 inhabitants in 1999, Moissac, with 12,321 inhabitants in 1999, and Figeac, with 9,991 inhabitants in 1999.
Under the Romans Quercy was part of Aquitania prima, and Christianity was introduced during the 4th century. Early in the 6th century it fell under the authority of the Franks, and in the 7th century became part of the autonomous Duchy of Aquitaine. At the end of the 10th century its rulers were the powerful counts of Toulouse. During the wars between England and France in the reign of Henry II, the English placed garrisons in the county, and by the 1259 Treaty of Paris lower Quercy was ceded to England. The monarchs of both England and France confirmed and added to the privileges of the towns and the district, each thus hoping to attach the inhabitants to his own interest. In 1360, by the Treaty of Brétigny, the whole county passed to England, but in 1440 the English were finally expelled. In the 16th century Quercy was a stronghold of the Protestants, and the scene of a savage religious warfare. The civil wars of the reign of Louis XIII largely took place around Montauban. [1]
Like Périgord, the area is noted for its cuisine, more particularly the duck dishes, confit de canard and magret de canard and the dark red wines of Cahors and, further south, Coteaux de Quercy.
The province gave its name to cadurcum, a variety of light linen.
Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, and the sixth most populated of Occitanie behind Toulouse, Montpellier, Nîmes, Perpignan and Béziers. In 2013, there were 57,921 inhabitants, called Montalbanais. The town has been classified Ville d’art et d’histoire since 2015.
Languedoc is a former province of France. Its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in the south of France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately 42,700 square kilometers.
Lot is a department in the Occitanie region of France. Named after the Lot River, it lies in the southwestern part of the country and had a population of 173,758 in 2013. Its prefecture is Cahors; its subprefectures are Figeac and Gourdon.
Tarn-et-Garonne is a department Southwestern France. It is traversed by the rivers Tarn and Garonne, from which it takes its name. This area was originally part of the former provinces of Quercy and Languedoc. The department was created in 1808 by Napoleon, with territory being taken from the departments of Lot, Haute-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers and Aveyron.
Rouergue is a former province of France, corresponding roughly with the modern department of Aveyron. Its historical capital is Rodez. It is bounded on the north by Auvergne, on the south and southwest by Languedoc, on the east by Gévaudan and on the west by Quercy.
Midi-Pyrénées is a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Occitanie. It was the largest region of Metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.
The following is a list of the 195 communes of the Tarn-et-Garonne department of France.
The Tarn is a 380.2-kilometre (236.2 mi) long river in the administrative region of Occitanie in southern France. It is a right tributary of the Garonne.
The arrondissement of Castelsarrasin is an arrondissement of France in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region. It has 103 communes. Its population is 77,423 (2016), and its area is 1,601.5 km2 (618.3 sq mi).
The arrondissement of Montauban is an arrondissement of France in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region. It has 92 communes. Its population is 179,474 (2016), and its area is 2,116.8 km2 (817.3 sq mi).
The following is a list of the 15 cantons of the Tarn-et-Garonne department, in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:
Montpezat-de-Quercy is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne département in the Occitanie région in southern France.
Saint-Cyprien is a former commune in the Lot department in south-western France. On 1 January 2018, it was merged into the new commune of Lendou-en-Quercy.
Auvillar is a commune in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne and the Occitanie region, situated at the edge of the Lomagne region on the banks of the Garonne river. Since 1994, Auvillar has been voted one of the "most beautiful villages in France" with its harbor area and outstanding monuments like the circular hall, the clock tower and the Church of St. Peter. Auvillar is a stop for tourists and pilgrims on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route.
Caussade is a commune in the district of Montauban, located in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in the south of France.
Molières is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Montjoi is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in southern France
Penne is a village and a commune in the Tarn department of the administrative region of Occitanie in southern France, formerly known as the Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées region.
Pierre-Barthélémy Portal d'Albarèdes, Baron Portal, was a French politician born into a Protestant family of Guienne.
Occitanie, Occitany or Occitania is the southernmost administrative region of metropolitan France excluding Corsica, created on 1 January 2016 from the former regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. The Conseil d'État approved Occitanie as the new name of the region on 28 September 2016, coming into effect on 30 September 2016.
Coordinates: 44°16′00″N1°38′00″E / 44.2667°N 1.63333°E
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