Bergerac
Brageirac (Occitan)
Subprefecture and commune
Place Pélissière and Église Saint-Jacques in the town centre of Bergerac
Place Pélissière and Église Saint-Jacques in the town centre of Bergerac
Coat of arms of Bergerac
Coat of arms
Location of Bergerac
Bergerac is located in France
Bergerac
Bergerac
Bergerac is located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Bergerac
Bergerac
Coordinates: 44°51′N 0°29′E / 44.85°N 0.48°E / 44.85; 0.48
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentDordogne
ArrondissementBergerac
CantonBergerac-1 and 2
IntercommunalityCA Bergeracoise
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jonathan Prioleaud[1] (LR)
Area
1
56.10 km2 (21.66 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2021)[2]
26,323
 • Density470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
24037 /24100
Elevation12–146 m (39–479 ft)
(avg. 29 m or 95 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Bergerac (French pronunciation: [bɛʁʒəʁak] ⓘ; Occitan: Brageirac [braˈzɛjra]) is a subprefecture of the Dordogne department, in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Southwestern France. In 2018, the commune had a population of 26,823, which made it the department's second-most populated after the prefecture Périgueux. Located on the banks of the river Dordogne, Bergerac was designated a Town of Art and History by the Ministry of Culture in 2013.[3]

History

In 1565, Charles IX of France visited Bergerac during his grand tour.

On 17 September 1577, amidst the French Wars of Religion, the Treaty of Bergerac, also known as the Peace of Bergerac (French: Paix de Bergerac), was signed between Henri III of France and Protestants to put a temporary end to the conflict. The treaty was negotiated by important figures on each side of the conflict, namely Nicolas de Neufville, seigneur de Villeroy and Armand de Gontaut, baron de Biron on the King's side and François de la Noue and François, Duke of Montpensier on the Protestant side.

Bergerac, which was a site where members of the French Resistance in Dordogne were incarcerated and interrogated during World War II, was freed from German occupation on 21 August 1944.[4]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 11,720—    
1800 8,544−4.41%
1806 8,665+0.23%
1821 8,044−0.49%
1831 8,557+0.62%
1836 9,285+1.65%
1841 10,102+1.70%
1846 9,873−0.46%
1851 10,402+1.05%
1856 10,875+0.89%
1861 12,116+2.18%
1866 12,123+0.01%
1872 11,699−0.59%
1876 13,120+2.91%
1881 15,042+2.77%
1886 14,353−0.93%
1891 14,735+0.53%
1896 15,642+1.20%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 15,936+0.37%
1906 15,623−0.40%
1911 16,162+0.68%
1921 17,041+0.53%
1926 16,593−0.53%
1931 17,520+1.09%
1936 18,902+1.53%
1946 22,525+1.77%
1954 23,622+0.60%
1962 25,185+0.80%
1968 27,165+1.27%
1975 27,764+0.31%
1982 26,832−0.49%
1990 26,899+0.03%
1999 26,053−0.35%
2007 27,601+0.72%
2012 27,972+0.27%
2017 26,833−0.83%
Source: EHESS[5] and INSEE (1968–2017)[6]

Climate

With climate change, Bergerac's climate has varied. A study carried out in 2014 by the Directorate General for Energy and Climate[7] predicts that the average temperature should increase and the average rainfall decrease.

Climate data for Bergerac, Dordogne (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.1
(66.4)		 25.9
(78.6)		 26.6
(79.9)		 29.7
(85.5)		 33.2
(91.8)		 39.5
(103.1)		 40.5
(104.9)		 41.1
(106.0)		 37.5
(99.5)		 31.5
(88.7)		 24.8
(76.6)		 20.0
(68.0)		 41.1
(106.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.8
(49.6)		 11.9
(53.4)		 15.5
(59.9)		 17.5
(63.5)		 22.1
(71.8)		 25.2
(77.4)		 27.4
(81.3)		 27.7
(81.9)		 23.9
(75.0)		 19.6
(67.3)		 13.3
(55.9)		 10.0
(50.0)		 18.7
(65.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.7
(35.1)		 1.6
(34.9)		 3.7
(38.7)		 6.0
(42.8)		 9.9
(49.8)		 13.0
(55.4)		 14.5
(58.1)		 14.4
(57.9)		 10.7
(51.3)		 8.6
(47.5)		 4.4
(39.9)		 2.0
(35.6)		 7.5
(45.5)
Record low °C (°F) −10.5
(13.1)		 −17.1
(1.2)		 −12.0
(10.4)		 −5.1
(22.8)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 2.9
(37.2)		 6.7
(44.1)		 4.8
(40.6)		 1.2
(34.2)		 −5.5
(22.1)		 −9.8
(14.4)		 −12.4
(9.7)		 −17.1
(1.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 65.7
(2.59)		 56.0
(2.20)		 56.7
(2.23)		 76.3
(3.00)		 75.9
(2.99)		 59.8
(2.35)		 54.6
(2.15)		 63.4
(2.50)		 63.8
(2.51)		 76.1
(3.00)		 72.5
(2.85)		 79.9
(3.15)		 800.7
(31.52)
Average precipitation days 11.4 9.0 9.5 12.2 9.8 8.5 7.3 7.5 8.5 9.5 10.9 10.3 114.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 85.4 111.3 167.4 178.0 210.8 231.7 248.0 240.2 199.3 136.9 88.7 78.2 1,976
Source: Météo-France[8][9][10]

Economy

Côtes-de-Bergerac grape harvesting

The region is primarily known for wine and tobacco. It has twelve recognised wine AOCs (appellations d'origine contrôlée):

Immigration

Bergerac is home to a population of British and Donegal people who frequently identify as 'expats' rather than immigrants. This trend is not unique to Bergerac and is evident throughout the Dordogne.[11] In part, this is driven by house prices which are very affordable when compared with either the French or British national averages.[12] The increasing British presence has led to some integration initiatives such as the non-profit Université du Temps Libre which offers French language classes and a programme of cultural activities.[13]

Tourism

The town has a growing tourism industry. The region's association with wines is also a key motivating factor for much tourism[14] with wine tours, chateau visits and a wine house by the river which features an exhibition on the history of wine growing. Nearby sites for tourists include the Arboretum de Podestat, Château de Monbazillac, the town museum, statue museum, and tobacco museum. The church of Notre Dame is located in the town centre.[15] The Dordogne River is also a significant tourist attraction for river boat tours and kayak rental.

Cyrano de Bergerac

Old statue of Cyrano de Bergerac
Newer statue of Cyrano de Bergerac

The town contains two statues of Cyrano de Bergerac, subject of a famous eponymous play by Edmond Rostand. An old stone statue stands on Place de la Myrpe, facing Place du Docteur Cayla. A newer statue, painted in colour and standing on a stainless steel pedestal, has been erected on Place Pelissiere.

Transport

Bergerac is served by Bergerac-Roumanière Airport (code EGC), which has internal flights, as well as routes to UK airports including Southampton, Bristol, Manchester, East Midlands, London Luton, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford and London Stansted Airport. Transavia also flies to Bergerac from Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Bergerac has an SNCF station with regular services to Bordeaux and Sarlat-la-Canéda. A weekday bus service operates between Bergerac and Périgueux, mainly serving school commuters.

Education

Bergerac is located within the Bordeaux Académie, which covers the entire former Aquitaine region. The main high school is Lycée Maine de Biran. Other high schools in the town include the private school Institution Sainte-Marthe Saint-Front, Lycée Jean Capelle and Lycée Professionnel de l'Alba.

International relations

Bergerac, Dordogne is twinned with:[16]

Bergerac is the setting of the ROBLOX game 'FIELDS OF GASCONY', published 8/24/2020, it is a part of the Hundred Years' War group, owned by HYWGenre. Currently, the game has over 1m visits.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 6 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Bergerac est classée Ville d'art et d'histoire", Sud Ouest (in French), 9 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Le 21 août 1944, Bergerac était libérée", Sud Ouest (in French), 19 August 2019.
  5. ↑ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Bergerac, EHESS (in French).
  6. ↑ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  7. ↑ "Le climat de la France au XXIe siècle - Volume 4 - Scénarios régionalisés : édition 2014 pour la métropole et les régions d'outre-mer" (PDF). www.ecologie.gouv.fr/. Retrieved 12 June 2021..
  8. ↑ "Données climatiques de la station de Bergerac" (in French). Meteo France. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "Climat Aquitaine" (in French). Meteo France. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "07530: Bergerac (France)". ogimet.com. OGIMET. 2 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  11. ↑ "'It's been mad': Dordogne town's unexpected Brexit boom". TheGuardian.com. 27 March 2018.
  12. ↑ "Why is Dordogne so popular with Brits?". 8 September 2017.
  13. ↑ "Université du Temps Libre de Bergerac". Archived from the original on 11 July 2019.
  14. ↑ "Wine & cuisine". Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  15. ↑ Category:Église Notre-Dame (Bergerac), Wikimedia Commons
  16. ↑ "Les relations internationales". bergerac.fr (in French). Bergerac. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
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