Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

, and also was the capital city of the former

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

History

The name of the commune derives either from the

Bituriges The Gaulish name Bituriges, meaning 'kings of the world', can refer to: * Bituriges Cubi, an ancient Gallic tribe dwelling around modern Bourges * Bituriges Vivisci, an ancient Gallic tribe dwelling around modern Bordeaux {{Disambiguation ...

, the name of the original inhabitants, or from the Germanic word ''

Burg The German word Burg means castle. Burg or Bürg may refer to: Places Placename element * ''-burg'', a combining form in Dutch, German and English placenames * Burg, a variant of burh, the fortified towns of Saxon England Settlements * Burg, Aar ...

'' (French: ''bourg''; Spanish: ''burgo''; English, others: ''

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

'', ''

berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * General Berg (disambiguation) * Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer, born 1963), Ninimbergue dos Santos Guerra, Brazilian footba ...

'', or ''

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

''), for "hill" or "village". The

Celt The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...

s called it ''Avaricon'';

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

-speakers: ''

Avaricum Avaricum was an ''oppidum'' in ancient Gaul, near what is now the city of Bourges. Avaricum, situated in the lands of the Bituriges Cubi, was the largest and best-fortified town within their territory, situated on very fertile lands. The terra ...

''. In the fourth century BC, as in the time of

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

, the area around it was the center of a Gallic (Celtic) confederacy. In 52 BC, the sixth year of the

Gallic Wars The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, and Switzerland). Gauls, Gallic, Germanic peoples, Germanic, and Celtic Britons, Brittonic trib ...

, while the

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

s implemented a

scorched-earth A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy of destroying everything that allows an enemy military force to be able to fight a war, including the deprivation and destruction of water, food, humans, animals, plants and any kind of tools and i ...

policy to try to deny Caesar's forces supplies, the inhabitants of Avaricum convinced the council not to have their town burned. 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. Rome reconstructed Avaricum as a Roman town, with a monumental gate,

aqueducts Aqueduct may refer to: Structures *Aqueduct (bridge), a bridge to convey water over an obstacle, such as a ravine or valley *Navigable aqueduct, or water bridge, a structure to carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railw ...

, ''

thermae In ancient Rome, (from Greek , "hot") and (from Greek ) were facilities for bathing. usually refers to the large Roman Empire, imperial public bath, bath complexes, while were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed i ...

'' 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 the first bishop of the town. Bourges functions as the seat of an

archbishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

. During the 8th century Bourges lay on the northern fringes of the

Duchy of Aquitaine The Duchy of Aquitaine (, ; , ) was a historical fiefdom located in the western, central, and southern areas of present-day France, south of the river Loire. The full extent of the duchy, as well as its name, fluctuated greatly over the centuries ...

and was therefore the first town to come under Frankish attacks when the

Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...

crossed the Loire. The Frankish

Charles Martel Charles Martel (; – 22 October 741), ''Martel'' being a sobriquet in Old French for "The Hammer", was a Franks, Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of ...

captured the town in 731, but Duke

Odo the Great Odo the Great (also called ''Eudes'' or ''Eudo'') (died 735–740), was the Duke of Aquitaine by 700. His territory included Vasconia in the south-west of Gaul and the Duchy of Aquitaine (at that point located north-east of the river Garonne), ...

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 A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

by the Frankish King

Pepin the Short the Short (; ; ; – 24 September 768), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian dynasty, Carolingian to become king. Pepin was the son of the Frankish prince Charles Martel and his wife Rotrude of H ...

in 762, when

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

troops are found defending the town along with its count. Plan de la cathedrale Bourges 1820 Archives nationales France

During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, Bourges served as the capital of the

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...

y 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 (), sought refuge there in the 1420s during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

. His son,

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...

, was born there in 1423. In 1438, Charles VII decreed the

Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges, issued by King Charles VII of France, on 7 July 1438, required a General Church Council, with authority superior to that of the papacy, to be held every ten years, required election rather than appointment to ec ...

. During this period, Bourges was a major centre of

alchemy Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...

. In 1487, a third of Bourges was destroyed by fire, after which the economic decline of the city started. The Gothic Cathedral of Saint Étienne, begun at the end of the twelfth century, ranks as a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. It is one of the earliest examples of the

High Gothic High Gothic was a period of Gothic architecture in the 13th century, from about 1200 to 1280, which saw the construction of a series of refined and richly decorated cathedrals of exceptional height and size. It appeared most prominently in France ...

style of the thirteenth century.
Destination 360 (Accessed 7 October 2016) Cathedral one of the earliest examples of High Gothic. Bourges has a long tradition of art and history. Apart from the cathedral, other sites of importance include the 15th-century

Palais Jacques Cœur The Palais Jacques Cœur is a large ''hôtel particulier'' built by Jacques Cœur for himself and his family in Bourges, France. Built and decorated in the flamboyant style, it is widely viewed as one of the most prominent examples of French ...

and a sixty-five-hectare district of half-timbered houses and fine

town-houses A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residenc ...

. 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.

Population

Geography

Bourges sits at the river junction where the

Auron Auron may refer to: * Auron (comics), two fictional DC Comics superheroes * Auron (ski resort) * Auron (river) in central France, a tributary of the Yèvre * Auron, a playable character in the Square role-playing game ''Final Fantasy X'' * One ...

flows into the Yèvre. The disused

Canal de Berry The Canal de Berry () is a disused canal in France which links the Canal latéral à la Loire at Marseilles-lès-Aubigny with the Cher at Noyers rejoining the Loire near Tours. With a branch from Montluçon it provided of canal with locks w ...

follows alongside the course of the Auron through Bourges.

Climate

Bourges, located in the center of

, away from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

, features a typical ''degraded oceanic climate'' (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfb''), characterized by colder, drier winters and warmer, wetter summers than the oceanic climate.

Industry

In 2025, one-sixth of the population worked in the defense industry, primarily in manufacturing arms. Notable local employers include

KNDS France KNDS France (formerly known as Nexter, GIAT Industries or ''Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre'', Army Industries Group) is a French government-owned weapons manufacturer, based in Versailles. The company was wholly government-owned ...

and

MBDA MBDA is a European multinational corporation specialized in the design, development and manufacturing of Missile, missiles and related systems. *Its

Gothic cathedral Gothic cathedrals and churches are religious buildings constructed in Europe in Gothic style between the mid-12th century and the beginning of the 16th century. The cathedrals are notable particularly for their great height and their extensive us ...

(built 1195–1255) was added to the list of the

World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

in 1992 *

*Lallemant's

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

, from the early

French Renaissance The French Renaissance was the cultural and artistic movement in France between the 15th and early 17th centuries. The period is associated with the pan-European Renaissance, a word first used by the French historian Jules Michelet to define ...

*The

museum, located in the Cujas' hotel *The Estève museum, located in the so-called aldermen's hotel *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 *The new Hôtel de Ville completed in 1992.

Events

The ''

Printemps de Bourges Le Printemps de Bourges is an annual music festival that is held in Bourges, France, over the course of five days. It is now a major event in France and Europe. History The festival was created in 1977 (by , , and ). With its span of 35 years, ...

'' music festival takes place in Bourges every year. Every summer, and since 2002, Les mille univers hosts a writing workshop in collaboration with

Oulipo Oulipo (, short for ; roughly translated as "workshop of potential literature", stylized ''OuLiPo'') is a loose gathering of (mainly) French-speaking writers and mathematicians who seek to create works using constrained writing techniques. It wa ...

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

Transport

The

Bourges station Bourges station ( French: ''Gare de Bourges'') is a railway station serving the town Bourges, Cher department, central France. Services The station is served by Intercités (long distance) services operated by SNCF between Nantes and Lyon, and ...

offers direct railway connections to

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Tours Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabita ...

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

and several regional destinations. The A71 motorway connects Bourges with Orléans and

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, , ; or simply ; ) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area () had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 ...

. 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 Tango Bourges Basket (formerly ''Cercle Jean-Macé Bourges Basket'') is a French professional women's basketball club from Bourges. Bourges was the first French team to win a FIBA women's competition, the 1995 Ronchetti Cup. So began the club' ...

, 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

University of Bourges The University of Bourges () was a university located in Bourges, France. It was founded by Louis XI in 1463 and closed during the French Revolution. Until the mid-17th century, lack of suitable legal training at home meant many Scots seeking to ...

* École des Beaux Arts * Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs ENSI

Twin towns – sister cities

Bourges is twinned with: *

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

, Germany * Aveiro, Portugal *

Forlì Forlì ( ; ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is, together with Cesena, the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena.The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the east of the Montone river, ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Koszalin Koszalin (; ; , ) is a city in northwestern Poland, in Western Pomerania. It is located south of the Baltic Sea coast, and intersected by the river Dzierżęcinka. Koszalin is also a county-status city and capital of Koszalin County of West Pomera ...

, Poland *

Palencia Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half of ...

, Spain *

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

, United Kingdom *

Yoshkar-Ola Yoshkar-Ola (Mari language, Mari and ) is the capital city of Mari El, Russia. Yoshkar-Ola means “red city” in Meadow Mari language, Mari and was formerly known as Tsarevokokshaysk () before 1919, as Krasnokokshaysk () between 1919 and 1927 ...

, Russia *

Korosten Korosten (, ), also historically known as Iskorosten (), is a historic city and a large transport hub in Zhytomyr Oblast, northern Ukraine. It is located on the Uzh (Pripyat), Uzh River. Korosten serves as the Capital city, administrative center ...

, Ukraine

Personalities

* 16th-century poet and translator Pierre Motin was born in Bourges. * 17th-century composer and singer François Bourgoing was born in Bourges. * The merchant

Jacques Cœur Jacques Cœur (, ; in Bourges – 25 November 1456 in Chios) was a French government official and state-sponsored merchant whose personal fortune became legendary and led to his eventual disgrace. He initiated regular trade routes between Fran ...

was born in Bourges. * The manuscript illuminator

Jean Colombe Jean Colombe (; c. 1430 – c. 1493) was a French miniature painter and illuminator of manuscripts. He is best known for his work in ''Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry''. He was a son of Philippe Colombe and his wife Guillemette and thus the ...

maintained a workshop in Bourges. *

John Calvin John Calvin (; ; ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French Christian theology, theologian, pastor and Protestant Reformers, reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of C ...

was a student in the

. * The legal expert

Jacques Cujas Jacques Cujas (or Cujacius) (Toulouse, 1522 – Bourges, 4 October 1590) was a French legal expert. He was prominent among the legal humanists or ''mos gallicus'' school, which sought to abandon the work of the medieval Commentators and conc ...

lived in Bourges during 1555-1557 and 1575–1590. *

Eustadiola Eustadiola (594–684) was a saint, widow, and abbess. She was born to wealthy and politically powerful parents in Bourges, France. She married due to pressure from her family, but became a widow at a young age, which gave her the financial and ...

(594–684) was a saint and abbess. * The

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

painter

Berthe Morisot Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot (; 14 January 1841 – 2 March 1895) was a French painter, printmaker and a member of the circle of painters in Paris who became known as the Impressionists. In 1864, Morisot exhibited for the first time in the ...

was born in Bourges on 14 January 1841. * The

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

sculptor

Julien Caussé Julien Caussé (birth name Jules Caussé) was a prolific French sculptor during the Art Nouveau period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who specialized in small figures. Background and career Jules Caussé was born in Bourges, Bourges ...

was born in Bourges in 1869. * The philosopher

Vladimir Jankélévitch Vladimir Jankélévitch (; 31 August 1903 – 6 June 1985) was a French philosopher and musicologist. Biography Jankélévitch was the son of Ukrainian Jewish parents, who had emigrated to France. In 1922 he started studying philosophy at the � ...

(1903-1985) was born in Bourges. * The writer and historian

Jules Bertaut Jules Bertaut (28 March 1877 – 7 October 1959) was a French writer, historian and lecturer. In 1959, he was awarded the grand prix de littérature de la SGDL for his work. Works Selected works: *1900: ''Secrets d'un siècle'', Amiot *190 ...

(1877–1959) was born in Bourges. *

Angèle Chevrin Angèle Chevrin (; 1911–1998) was a French communist politician from Corsica. Biography Angèle Giacomoni was born into a family of farmers in Bocognano, Corsica, on 1 July 1911. After graduating from school, she moved to the Corsican capital ...

(1911–1998), communist politician * Béatrice Vialle, aviator. * Emmanuel Imorou, footballer. *

Émilienne Demougeot Émilienne Demougeot (1910, Bourges – 19 June 1994, Montpellier) was a French historian, a specialist of Late Antiquity and Early Christianity. She was one of the first women professors of history at a French university, and the first woman prof ...

(1910–1994), historian, was born in Bourges. * Marcel Bascoulard (1913-1978), artist, was born outside of Bourges and resided there for most of his life. * The mother of fictional character Gabrielle Maple hailed from Bourges in

The Petrified Forest ''The Petrified Forest'' is a 1936 American crime drama film directed by Archie Mayo and based on Robert E. Sherwood's 1934 drama of the same name. The motion picture stars Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. The screenplay was ...

(1936), endearingly mispronounced "Boorgs" by the actress playing the part,

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

. * François Jacques (1946–1992), historian, was born in Bourges. * Arnaud Courlet de Vregille (1958-), painter, was born in Bourges. * Belle du Berry (born Bénédicte Grimault) (1966-2020) lead singer of Paris Combo *

Patrice Gay Patrice Gay (born 14 November 1973) is a French former racing driver from Bourges. Gay began racing in French Formula Three in 1996, capturing one win and finishing third in points. He returned to the series the following year and won the cham ...

(1973-), racing driver *

Geoffroy Tory Geoffroy (or Geofroy) Tory (; in Bourges – before 14 October 1533 in Paris) was a French humanism, humanist and an engraver, best known for adding accents on letters in French. His life's work has heavily influenced French publishing to this ...

(1480-1533), printer who introduced accents into French, was born in Bourges.

References

Bibliography

External links

* * {{Authority control Burial sites of the House of Albret Communes of Cher (department) Prefectures in France Berry, France Bituriges Cubi Gallia Aquitania