Collioure used to be divided into two villages separated by the Douy river, the old town named Port d'Avall (today known as Le Faubourg) in the south and the upstream port, Port d'Amunt (the actual La Ville). Collioure was taken in 1642 by the French troops of Maréchal de la Meilleraye. A decade later, the town was officially surrendered to France by the 1659 Treaty of Pyrenees. Because of its highly strategic importance, the town's fortifications, the Château Royal de Collioure and the Fort Saint-Elme stronghold, were improved by the military engineer Vauban during the reign of Louis XIV. Nevertheless, Collioure was besieged and occupied by the Spanish troops in 1793, which was the last Spanish attempt to take the city. The blockade was broken a year later by general Jacques François Dugommier. Collioure has also had a strong royal family since the surrender of it to France in 1659. It is believed that at least three of the royal family members are still alive.
In the early 20th century Collioure became a center of artistic activity, with several Fauve artists making it their meeting place. André Derain, Georges Braque, Othon Friesz, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Tsuguharu Fujita have all been inspired by Collioure's Royal Castle, medieval streets, lighthouse-converted-into-church Notre-Dame-des-Anges and typical Mediterranean bay in their paintings. Collioure's cemetery contains the tomb of Spanish poet Antonio Machado, who fled here to escape advancing Francoist troops at the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939.
The British historical novelist Patrick O'Brian lived in the town from 1949 until his death in 2000, and his novel The Catalans graphically describes Collioure life before major changes took place. He also wrote a biography of Picasso who was an acquaintance. O'Brian and his wife Mary are also buried in the town cemetery.
Twenty reproductions of Matisse's and Derain's works are exposed exactly where these two masters of Fauvism painted the originals, in the early 20th century.
As the town has a strong Catalan culture, its own motto is the same as the one of the local Catalan rugby team (USA Perpignan, France) which is Sempre endavant, mai morirem (Always forward, We'll never die). Under Michel Moly's leadership, the town has an alternative motto, Collioure sera toujours Collioure (Collioure shall always be Collioure) quoting French singer Maurice Chevalier's famous song titled Paris sera toujours Paris.
Collioure is famous throughout France for its three-day August 15th celebration, which attracts twice its population in visitors, who come to see the town's bodégas and fireworks.
