Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Chapel of the Cordeliers of Montpellier finds its origins in a Franciscan convent founded in 1264, whose medieval crypt remains under the present Rockstore. The church, destroyed and rebuilt several times during the Wars of Religion, became a Protestant temple after 1562, then regained its Catholic vocation in 1685 after the revocation of the edict of Nantes. Charles Bonaparte, father of Napoleon I, died there in 1785 and was temporarily buried there.

Sold as a national property in 1791, the building was bought in 1803 by the Protestant Consistory, which rebuilt it in 1821 in a neo-classical style, with a triangular fronton facade. In the 19th century, it housed successively a printing house, a car garage (the "Modern" Garage), then a cinema, the Odeon, where was projected as a preview of Napoleon of Abel Gance in 1928. Transformed into a discotheque in the 1970s, he became Rockstore in 1986, symbol of Montpellieran nights.

Ranked a historic monument in 2007, the site reveals during renovations in 2013 archaeological remains, including medieval burials, imposing improvements to preserve this heritage. The facade, adorned with a red Cadillac inspired by the Hard Rock Café, and the hall, which can accommodate a thousand people, make it a major cultural place. Its history reflects the religious, industrial and artistic changes of Montpellier, from the Ancien Régime to the contemporary era.

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