Bourges

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Bourges
Flag of Bourges.svg
Blason de Bourges.svg
Location of Bourges
Bourges
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Bourges
Centre-Val de Loire region location map.svg
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Bourges
Coordinates: 47°05′04″N2°23′47″E / 47.0844°N 2.3964°E / 47.0844; 2.3964
Country France
Region Centre-Val de Loire
Department Cher
Arrondissement Bourges
Intercommunality CA Bourges Plus
Government
  Mayor (20202026) Yann Galut [1]
Area
1
68.74 km2 (26.54 sq mi)
Population
 (2022) [2]
64,238
  Density930/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Demonym Berruyers
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
18033 /18000
Elevation120–169 m (394–554 ft)
(avg. 153 m or 502 ft)
Website http://www.ville-bourges.fr/_en/site/introduction
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Bourges ( /bʊərʒ/ BOORZH; French: [buʁʒ] ; Borges in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry.

Contents

History

The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, the name of the original inhabitants, or from the Germanic word Burg (French: bourg; Spanish: burgo; English, others: burgh , berg , or borough ), for "hill" or "village". The Celts called it Avaricon; Latin-speakers: Avaricum . In the fourth century BC, as in the time of Caesar, the area around it was the center of a Gallic (Celtic) confederacy.

In 52 BC, the sixth year of the Gallic Wars, while the Gauls implemented a scorched-earth policy to try to deny Caesar's forces supplies, the inhabitants of Avaricum convinced the council not to have their town burned. [3] It was temporarily spared due to its good defences provided by the surrounding marshes, by a river that nearly encircled it, and by a strong southern wall. Julius Caesar's forces, nevertheless, captured and destroyed the town, killing all but 800 of its inhabitants. [4]

Rome reconstructed Avaricum as a Roman town, with a monumental gate, aqueducts, thermae and an amphitheatre; it reached a greater size than it would attain during the Middle Ages. The massive walls surrounding the late-Roman town, enclosing 40 hectares, were built in part with stone re-used from earlier public buildings.

The third-century AD Saint Ursinus, also known as Saint Ursin, is considered[ by whom? ] the first bishop of the town. Bourges functions as the seat of an archbishopric. During the 8th century Bourges lay on the northern fringes of the Duchy of Aquitaine and was therefore the first town to come under Frankish attacks when the Franks crossed the Loire. The Frankish Charles Martel captured the town in 731, but Duke Odo the Great of Aquitaine immediately re-took it. It remained under the rule of counts who pledged allegiance to the Aquitanian dukes up to the destructive siege by the Frankish King Pepin the Short in 762, when Basque troops are found defending the town along with its count.

Bourges in 1820 Plan de la cathedrale Bourges 1820 Archives nationales France.jpg
Bourges in 1820

During the Middle Ages, Bourges served as the capital of the Viscounty of Bourges until 1101. In the fourteenth century, it became the capital of the Duchy of Berry (established in 1360). The future king of France, Charles VII (r.1422–1461), sought refuge there in the 1420s during the Hundred Years' War. His son, Louis XI, was born there in 1423. In 1438, Charles VII decreed the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges. During this period, Bourges was a major centre of alchemy.[ citation needed ] In 1487, a third of Bourges was destroyed by fire, after which the economic decline of the city started. [5]

The Gothic Cathedral of Saint Étienne, begun at the end of the twelfth century, ranks as a World Heritage Site. It is one of the earliest examples of the High Gothic style of the thirteenth century. [6]

Bourges has a long tradition of art and history. Apart from the cathedral, other sites of importance include the 15th-century Palais Jacques Cœur and a sixty-five-hectare district of half-timbered houses and fine town-houses.

Bourges became an important center of artillery production from the 1860s, when Napoleon III decided to relocate the École de pyrotechnie militaire, at the time located in Metz, far away from the Prussian border. [7]

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 15,964    
1800 16,330+0.32%
1806 17,552+1.21%
1821 18,910+0.50%
1831 19,730+0.43%
1836 25,324+5.12%
1841 22,826−2.06%
1846 24,799+1.67%
1851 25,037+0.19%
1856 26,799+1.37%
1861 28,064+0.93%
1866 30,119+1.42%
1872 31,312+0.65%
1876 35,785+3.39%
1881 40,217+2.36%
1886 42,829+1.27%
1891 45,342+1.15%
1896 43,587−0.79%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 46,551+1.32%
1906 44,133−1.06%
1911 45,735+0.72%
1921 45,942+0.05%
1926 44,245−0.75%
1931 45,067+0.37%
1936 49,263+1.80%
1946 51,040+0.35%
1954 53,879+0.68%
1962 60,632+1.49%
1968 70,814+2.62%
1975 77,300+1.26%
1982 76,432−0.16%
1990 75,609−0.14%
1999 72,480−0.47%
2007 71,155−0.23%
2012 66,666−1.29%
2017 64,551−0.64%
Source: EHESS [8] and INSEE (1968–2017) [9]

Geography

Bourges sits at the river junction where the Auron flows into the Yèvre. The disused Canal de Berry follows alongside the course of the Auron through Bourges.

Climate

Bourges, located in the center of France, away from the Atlantic Ocean, features a typical degraded oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), characterized by colder, drier winters and warmer, wetter summers than the oceanic climate.

Climate data for Bourges (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1945–present)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)17.6
(63.7)
22.8
(73.0)
29.4
(84.9)
29.4
(84.9)
32.0
(89.6)
39.5
(103.1)
41.7
(107.1)
39.9
(103.8)
36.4
(97.5)
31.9
(89.4)
23.4
(74.1)
20.0
(68.0)
41.7
(107.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)7.4
(45.3)
8.9
(48.0)
13.1
(55.6)
16.3
(61.3)
20.1
(68.2)
23.8
(74.8)
26.2
(79.2)
26.2
(79.2)
22.1
(71.8)
17.2
(63.0)
11.2
(52.2)
7.9
(46.2)
16.7
(62.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)4.5
(40.1)
5.1
(41.2)
8.4
(47.1)
11.1
(52.0)
14.8
(58.6)
18.4
(65.1)
20.5
(68.9)
20.5
(68.9)
16.7
(62.1)
12.9
(55.2)
7.9
(46.2)
5.0
(41.0)
12.1
(53.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)1.6
(34.9)
1.4
(34.5)
3.7
(38.7)
5.8
(42.4)
9.5
(49.1)
13.0
(55.4)
14.8
(58.6)
14.7
(58.5)
11.3
(52.3)
8.5
(47.3)
4.6
(40.3)
2.2
(36.0)
7.6
(45.7)
Record low °C (°F)−20.4
(−4.7)
−16.4
(2.5)
−11.3
(11.7)
−3.8
(25.2)
−2.6
(27.3)
3.4
(38.1)
4.6
(40.3)
4.6
(40.3)
1.8
(35.2)
−5.0
(23.0)
−9.1
(15.6)
−14.0
(6.8)
−20.4
(−4.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)58.0
(2.28)
51.0
(2.01)
52.8
(2.08)
62.0
(2.44)
75.9
(2.99)
58.4
(2.30)
63.5
(2.50)
53.5
(2.11)
56.7
(2.23)
74.2
(2.92)
69.3
(2.73)
67.4
(2.65)
742.7
(29.24)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)11.59.69.69.910.78.58.07.77.910.211.611.9117.2
Average snowy days3.93.62.51.0.1000001.52.715.3
Average relative humidity (%)87827673767469717584878879
Mean monthly sunshine hours 65.593.5155.9185.6215.6227.4248.6239.8194.0127.076.659.51,888.9
Source 1: Meteociel [10]
Source 2: Infoclimat.fr (humidity and snow days (1961–1990) [11]

Industry

In 2025, one-sixth of the population worked in the defense industry, primarily in manufacturing arms. Notable local employers include KNDS France and MBDA. [12]

Sights

Half-timbered houses in Place Gordaine Bourges place Gordaine 1.jpg
Half-timbered houses in Place Gordaine
Palais Jacques Coeur Jacques Coeur's palace.jpg
Palais Jacques Cœur
The new Hotel de Ville BourgesMairie.JPG
The new Hôtel de Ville

Events

The Printemps de Bourges music festival takes place in Bourges every year.

Every summer, and since 2002, Les mille univers hosts a writing workshop in collaboration with Oulipo. [19]

Bourges was chosen as a European capital of culture for 2028. [20]

Transport

The Bourges station offers direct railway connections to Orléans, Tours, Lyon, Paris, Nantes and several regional destinations. The A71 motorway connects Bourges with Orléans and Clermont-Ferrand. Bourges Airport is a small regional airport.

Sport and recreation

Bourges' principal football team was the now dissolved Bourges Football 18. It is also home to the women's basketball club CJM Bourges Basket, which has won multiple titles in domestic and European basketball. Bourges XV is the premier rugby team in the region, currently playing in French National Division, Federal 3.

Colleges and universities

Twin towns – sister cities

Bourges is twinned with: [22]

Personalities

See also

References

  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
  3. "Siege of Avaricum, 52 BC". historyofwar.org. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  4. Holmes, Robert C. L. (16 January 2021). "The Gallic Wars: How Julius Caesar Conquered Gaul (Modern France)". The Collector. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  5. "Bourges history". City of Bourges.
  6. Destination 360 (Accessed 7 October 2016) Cathedral one of the earliest examples of High Gothic.
  7. Lorieux, Clarisse (13 May 2020). "Ecole militaire de pyrotechnie, puis usine de produits explosifs (usine de munitions), actuellement usine d'armes Giat Industries". Plateforme ouverte de patrimoine (in French). Ministère de la culture.
  8. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Bourges, EHESS (in French).
  9. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  10. "Normales et records pour Bourges (18)". Meteociel. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  11. "Normes et records 1961-1990: Bourges (18) - altitude 161m" (in French). Infoclimat. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  12. Bonnefous, Bastien (20 April 2025). "Bourges, bouleversée par le « réarmement » : « La ville est redevenue l'un des fers de lance de la défense française »". Le Monde (in French).
  13. Jacques Cœur's palace, visitor centre Archived 21 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  14. Lallemant's hotel, visitor centre Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Berry museum, visitor center Archived 7 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  16. Estève museum, visitor centre Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  17. Bourges' marshes, visitor centre
  18. "Les Hôtels de Ville". City of Bourges. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  19. "Les récréations à Bourges". Archived from the original on 28 July 2013.
  20. "Bourges, capitale européenne de la Culture en 2028". Ministère de la culture (in French). Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  21. "ENSI". Archived from the original on 5 August 2011.
  22. "Villes jumelles". ville-bourges.fr (in French). Bourges. Retrieved 12 November 2019.

Bibliography