The name of the commune derives either from theBituriges, the name of the original inhabitants, or from theGermanic wordBurg (French:bourg; Spanish:burgo; English, others:burgh,berg, orborough), for "hill" or "village". TheCelts called itAvaricon;Latin-speakers:Avaricum. In the fourth century BC, as in the time ofCaesar, the area around it was the center of a Gallic (Celtic) confederacy.
In 52 BC, the sixth year of theGallic Wars, while theGauls implemented ascorched-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 ADSaint Ursinus, also known as Saint Ursin, is considered[by whom?] the first bishop of the town. Bourges functions as the seat of anarchbishopric. During the 8th century Bourges lay on the northern fringes of theDuchy of Aquitaine and was therefore the first town to come under Frankish attacks when theFranks crossed the Loire. The FrankishCharles Martel captured the town in 731, but DukeOdo 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 destructivesiege by the Frankish KingPepin the Short in 762, whenBasque troops are found defending the town along with its count.
Bourges in 1820
During theMiddle Ages, Bourges served as the capital of theViscounty of Bourges until 1101. In the fourteenth century, it became the capital of theDuchy of Berry (established in 1360). The future king of France,Charles VII (r. 1422–1461), sought refuge there in the 1420s during theHundred Years' War. His son,Louis XI, was born there in 1423. In 1438, Charles VII decreed thePragmatic Sanction of Bourges. During this period, Bourges was a major centre ofalchemy.[citation needed] In 1487, a third of Bourges was destroyed by fire, after which the economic decline of the city started.[5]
Bourges has a long tradition of art and history. Apart from the cathedral, other sites of importance include the 15th-centuryPalais Jacques Cœur and a sixty-five-hectare district of half-timbered houses and finetown-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]
Bourges sits at the river junction where theAuron flows into theYèvre. The disusedCanal de Berry follows alongside the course of the Auron through Bourges.
Bourges, located in the center ofFrance, away from theAtlantic Ocean, features a typicaldegraded 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)
In 2025, one-sixth of the population worked in the defense industry, primarily in manufacturing arms. Notable local employers includeKNDS France andMBDA.[12]
Bourges' principal football team was the now dissolvedBourges Football 18. It is also home to the women's basketball clubCJM Bourges Basket, which has won multiple titles in domestic and European basketball. Bourges XV is a rugby team in the region, playing[when?] in French National Division, Federal 3.
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 inThe Petrified Forest (1936), endearingly mispronounced "Boorgs" by the actress playing the part,Bette Davis.
