Bourges
Saint-Étienne de Bourges
Bourges
Administration
Country	France
Region	Centre
Department	Cher
Arrondissement	Bourges
Intercommunality	Bourges
Mayor	Serge Lepeltier (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	120–169 m (390–554 ft) (avg. 153 m or 502 ft)
Land area1	68.74 km2 (26.54 sq mi)
Population2	68,980  (2008)
- Density	1,003 /km2 (2,600 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	18033/ 18000
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 47°05′04″N 2°23′47″E / 47.0844°N 2.3964°E / 47.0844; 2.3964

Bourges (French pronunciation: [buʁʒ]) is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.

History[link]

The name of the city is either derived from the Bituriges, the name of the original inhabitants, or from the Germanic Burg (French: Bourg. Spanish: Burgos. English, others: Burgh, Berg, or Borough), for "hill/village". Its Celtic name was Avaricon and its Latin name was Avaricum. In the Gallic Wars, the Gauls practised a scorched-earth policy, but the inhabitants of Avaricum begged not to have their city burned, and it was spared due to its good defences provided by the surrounding marshes and a strong southern wall. Following the siege of Avaricum in the winter of 52 BC, Julius Caesar's forces destroyed the city and killed all but 800 of its inhabitants.

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

The third century Saint Ursinus, also known as Saint Ursin, is considered the first bishop of the city. Bourges is 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 they crossed the Loire. It was captured by the Frankish Charles Martel in 731 but immediately reconquered by the duke Odo the Great. It remained under the rule of counts who pledged allegiance to the Aquitanian dukes up to the destructive assault of Pepin the Short on independent Aquitaine starting in 760, when Basque troops are found defending the town along with its count.

The Gothic Cathedral of Saint Etienne, begun at the end of the twelfth century, is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is considered the earliest example of the high gothic style of the thirteenth century.

During the Middle Ages, Bourges was the capital of a Viscounty until the fourteenth century. The future king, Charles VII, sought refuge there. His son, Louis XI, was born there in 1423. In 1438, Charles decreed the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges. During this period, Bourges was also a major capital of alchemy.

The city has a long tradition of art and history, other sites of importance include the Palace of Jacques Cœur and a sixty-five-hectare district of half-timbered houses and fine town houses.

Personalities[link]

The Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot was born in Bourges on 14 January 1841.

Population[link]

Sights[link]

Floorplan of the cathedral of Bourges

• Its Gothic cathedral (built 1195–1255) was added to the list of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1992
• Jacques Cœur's Palace
• The Maurice Estève Museum
• The marshes of the Yèvre and Voiselle Rivers were listed in 2003 as a French Natural Monument or Site
• The ruins of the Gallo-Roman walls
• The Conservatoire national du Pélargonium

Transport[link]

The railway station Gare de Bourges offers direct connections to Paris (2 hours), Orléans, Tours, Lyon and several regional destinations. The A71 motorway connects Bourges with Orléans and Clermont-Ferrand. Bourges Airport is a small regional airport.

Sport and Recreation[link]

Bourges has a football team called Bourges Football 18

Colleges and universities[link]

• University of Bourges
• École des Beaux Arts ([1])
• Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs ENSI ([2])

Personalities[link]

• Emmanuel Imorou footballer

Twin towns – sister cities[link]

Bourges is twinned with:

Half-timbered houses in Place Gordaine

• Augsburg, Germany
• Aveiro, Portugal
• Forlì, Italy
• Koszalin, Poland
• Palencia, Spain
• Peterborough, United Kingdom
• – Yoshkar-Ola, Russia

Events[link]

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

See also[link]

• Saint-Benoît-du-Sault
• Communes of the Cher department

References[link]

• INSEE

External links[link]

• Official website
• Bourges, the departement of Cher (French and English)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bourges

v t e Communes of the Cher department Achères Ainay-le-Vieil Les Aix-d'Angillon Allogny Allouis Annoix Apremont-sur-Allier Arçay Arcomps Ardenais Argent-sur-Sauldre Argenvières Arpheuilles Assigny Aubigny-sur-Nère Aubinges Augy-sur-Aubois Avord Azy Bannay Bannegon Barlieu Baugy Beddes Beffes Belleville-sur-Loire Bengy-sur-Craon Berry-Bouy Bessais-le-Fromental Blancafort Blet Boulleret Bourges Bouzais Brécy Brinay Brinon-sur-Sauldre Bruère-Allichamps Bué Bussy La Celette La Celle La Celle-Condé Cerbois Chalivoy-Milon Chambon La Chapelle-d'Angillon La Chapelle-Hugon La Chapelle-Montlinard La Chapelle-Saint-Ursin La Chapelotte Charenton-du-Cher Charentonnay Charly Chârost Chassy Châteaumeillant Châteauneuf-sur-Cher Le Châtelet Chaumont Chaumoux-Marcilly Le Chautay Chavannes Chéry Chezal-Benoît Civray Clémont Cogny Colombiers Concressault Contres Cornusse Corquoy Couargues Cours-les-Barres Coust Couy Crézançay-sur-Cher Crézancy-en-Sancerre Croisy Crosses Cuffy Culan Dampierre-en-Crot Dampierre-en-Graçay Drevant Dun-sur-Auron Ennordres Épineuil-le-Fleuriel Étréchy Farges-Allichamps Farges-en-Septaine Faverdines Feux Flavigny Foëcy Fussy Gardefort Garigny Genouilly Germigny-l'Exempt Givardon Graçay Groises Gron Grossouvre La Groutte La Guerche-sur-l'Aubois Henrichemont Herry Humbligny Ids-Saint-Roch Ignol Ineuil Ivoy-le-Pré Jalognes Jars Jouet-sur-l'Aubois Jussy-Champagne Jussy-le-Chaudrier Lantan Lapan Laverdines Lazenay Léré Levet Lignières Limeux Lissay-Lochy Loye-sur-Arnon Lugny-Bourbonnais Lugny-Champagne Lunery Lury-sur-Arnon Maisonnais Marçais Mareuil-sur-Arnon Marmagne Marseilles-lès-Aubigny Massay Mehun-sur-Yèvre Meillant Menetou-Couture Menetou-Râtel Menetou-Salon Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre Ménétréol-sur-Sauldre Méreau Méry-ès-Bois Méry-sur-Cher Montigny Montlouis Morlac Mornay-Berry Mornay-sur-Allier Morogues Morthomiers Moulins-sur-Yèvre Nançay Nérondes Neuilly-en-Dun Neuilly-en-Sancerre Neuvy-Deux-Clochers Neuvy-le-Barrois Neuvy-sur-Barangeon Nohant-en-Goût Nohant-en-Graçay Le Noyer Nozières Oizon Orcenais Orval Osmery Osmoy Ourouer-les-Bourdelins Parassy Parnay La Perche Pigny Plaimpied-Givaudins Plou Poisieux Le Pondy Précy Presly Preuilly Préveranges Primelles Quantilly Quincy Raymond Reigny Rezay Rians Sagonne Saint-Aignan-des-Noyers Saint-Amand-Montrond Saint-Ambroix Saint-Baudel Saint-Bouize Saint-Caprais Saint-Céols Saint-Christophe-le-Chaudry Saint-Denis-de-Palin Saint-Doulchard Sainte-Gemme-en-Sancerrois Saint-Éloy-de-Gy Sainte-Lunaise Sainte-Montaine Sainte-Solange Sainte-Thorette Saint-Florent-sur-Cher Saint-Georges-de-Poisieux Saint-Georges-sur-la-Prée Saint-Georges-sur-Moulon Saint-Germain-des-Bois Saint-Germain-du-Puy Saint-Hilaire-de-Court Saint-Hilaire-de-Gondilly Saint-Hilaire-en-Lignières Saint-Jeanvrin Saint-Just Saint-Laurent Saint-Léger-le-Petit Saint-Loup-des-Chaumes Saint-Martin-d'Auxigny Saint-Martin-des-Champs Saint-Maur Saint-Michel-de-Volangis Saint-Outrille Saint-Palais Saint-Pierre-les-Bois Saint-Pierre-les-Étieux Saint-Priest-la-Marche Saint-Satur Saint-Saturnin Saint-Symphorien Saint-Vitte Saligny-le-Vif Sancergues Sancerre Sancoins Santranges Saugy Saulzais-le-Potier Savigny-en-Sancerre Savigny-en-Septaine Senneçay Sens-Beaujeu Serruelles Sévry Sidiailles Soulangis Soye-en-Septaine Le Subdray Subligny Sury-en-Vaux Sury-ès-Bois Sury-près-Léré Tendron Thaumiers Thauvenay Thénioux Thou Torteron Touchay Trouy Uzay-le-Venon Vailly-sur-Sauldre Vallenay Vasselay Veaugues Venesmes Verdigny Vereaux Vernais Verneuil Vesdun Vierzon Vignoux-sous-les-Aix Vignoux-sur-Barangeon Villabon Villecelin Villegenon Villeneuve-sur-Cher Villequiers Vinon Vorly Vornay Vouzeron