Tarn-et-Garonne
A department of France in the Occitanie region, centered on Montauban and named after the Tarn and Garonne rivers.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Tarn-et-Garonne is a department of France in the Occitanie region of the country’s southwest. Its name refers to the two major rivers that shape its landscape: the Tarn and the Garonne. The departmental prefecture and largest commune is Montauban, while Castelsarrasin is the only subprefecture. In 2023, the department had approximately 265,817 inhabitants. The department was established on 4 November 1808 during the First French Empire, following a decision by Napoleon. Its creation reflected the influence of Montauban, then an important commercial and industrial center whose inhabitants sought recognition as the capital of a new administrative unit. Tarn-et-Garonne was assembled from portions of several neighboring departments rather than from one continuous pre-existing province. More than half of its territory, including Montauban and Moissac, came from Lot; more than one-third, including Castelsarrasin, came from Haute-Garonne; additional territory was taken from Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, and Aveyron. Félix Le Peletier d’Aunay became its first prefect at the end of 1808. The department occupies a largely rural area between the Garonne basin and the uplands associated with Quercy and the Massif Central. Its central zone is a fertile, relatively low-lying river plain used for agriculture. Higher and more rugged terrain occurs in the north, northeast, and south, including the limestone plateaus known as the Causses. Pech Maurel, near Castanet, is the department’s highest point at about 510 meters. The neighboring departments are Lot, Aveyron, Tarn, Haute-Garonne, Gers, and Lot-et-Garonne. Montauban lies on the right bank of the Tarn near its meeting with the Tescou, and the Tarn joins the Aveyron farther downstream. Castelsarrasin stands close to the confluence zone of the Tarn and Garonne. Transport and waterways have helped connect the department with the wider Toulouse and Garonne basin, including the Canal de Montech, which links Montauban with the Garonne system. The territory has deeper historical roots in Quercy and Languedoc. Under Roman administration, Quercy formed part of Aquitania Prima. The region subsequently came under Frankish and Aquitanian authority and later became associated with the counts of Toulouse. Parts of Quercy changed hands between England and France during the medieval conflicts, before French forces expelled the English in the fifteenth century. During the sixteenth century, Quercy was an important Protestant stronghold, and Montauban was involved in the religious and political conflicts of the period. Today, Tarn-et-Garonne is an active territorial administration of the French Republic. Its institutions include the state prefecture and an elected Departmental Council with 30 seats. The council was chaired by Michel Weill as of the cited reference material. The department’s identity combines rural agriculture, river-valley settlement, historic towns, and its position near the expanding Toulouse metropolitan area.
History
The historical territory now associated with Tarn-et-Garonne was principally drawn from Quercy in the north and Languedoc in the south. In Roman times, Quercy belonged to Aquitania Prima, and Christianity reached the area during the fourth century. Frankish authority followed, before the region became part of the autonomous Duchy of Aquitaine and later came under the influence of the counts of Toulouse. The medieval history of Quercy was shaped by the rivalry between the English and French crowns. English garrisons were established in the region during conflicts involving Henry II of England, and the Treaty of Paris of 1259 placed lower Quercy under English control. The Treaty of Brétigny in 1360 transferred the whole of Quercy to England, although French forces gradually recovered the territory during the 1440s under Charles VII. Religious conflict became especially significant in the sixteenth century, when Quercy developed into a Protestant stronghold. Montauban was also a major setting for the civil conflicts of the reign of Louis XIII. In the nineteenth century, the economic and social strains accompanying industrial and commercial change produced hardship in Montauban. During the July Monarchy, falling wages, factory closures, and rising food prices contributed to widespread unrest, including disturbances in 1847. Tarn-et-Garonne itself was created on 4 November 1808 by Napoleon during the First French Empire. Montauban’s residents had advocated the establishment of a new department, arguing that their city was sufficiently important and centrally placed to serve as its capital. Napoleon accepted the request after being impressed by the town’s loyalty. The new department was constructed from pieces of five neighboring departments. Lot supplied most of the territory, including Montauban and Moissac; Haute-Garonne supplied a substantial southern section, including Castelsarrasin; smaller portions came from Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, and Aveyron. Félix Le Peletier d’Aunay was installed as the first prefect on 31 December 1808. The department’s later development has been closely linked to its river valleys, agricultural land, market towns, and proximity to Toulouse. Montauban became the principal administrative and economic center, while Castelsarrasin developed as the main secondary urban center and subprefecture. The Canal de Montech strengthened connections between Montauban and the Garonne waterway network. Since the creation of the modern French regions, Tarn-et-Garonne has formed part of Occitanie. Its contemporary governance combines the state-appointed prefecture with the elected Departmental Council.
- 2023
Population recorded at approximately 265,817
[1]The department’s population was reported as approximately 265,817 inhabitants.
- 2021
Michel Weill elected departmental council president
[1]Michel Weill became president of the 30-member Departmental Council of Tarn-et-Garonne.
- 1808
Creation of the department
[1]Napoleon created Tarn-et-Garonne on 4 November 1808 from territory taken from Lot, Haute-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, and Aveyron.
- 1808
First prefect installed
[1]Félix Le Peletier d’Aunay took office as the department’s first prefect on 31 December 1808.
- 1440
French recovery of Quercy
[1]English forces were finally expelled from Quercy during the 1440s by the army created under Charles VII of France.
Treaty of Paris and lower Quercy
[1]The Treaty of Paris placed lower Quercy under English control, reflecting the wider Anglo-French rivalry that shaped the region’s medieval history.
Treaty of Brétigny
[1]The Treaty of Brétigny transferred the whole of Quercy to England before the territory was later recovered by France.
Products and positioning
A rural and agricultural French department organized around the Tarn and Garonne river valleys, with Montauban as its administrative and economic center.
Agriculture
Agricultural production
Tarn-et-Garonne’s broad river valleys provide fertile agricultural land and support varied rural production. Agriculture is a defining economic and landscape feature of the department, although the supplied reference does not identify specific protected products or individual leading crops.
Public administration · 1808
Departmental public services
The department provides and coordinates territorial public functions through the state prefecture and the elected Departmental Council. These functions include local administration, infrastructure, social services, and support for rural and community development.
Tourism and culture
Heritage and tourism
Historic towns, river landscapes, Quercy-related heritage, and the department’s position in Occitanie form the basis of a local tourism offer. Montauban and other settlements provide cultural and architectural destinations, while the rural valleys and uplands support landscape-oriented travel.
Sources2 sources
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