Curiosities of Bourges, part I !!!

Posted in Europe, France

Ok so i was again in the wonderful city of Bourges! Again, I have written several posts on the city and its things to see over the years in my blog and you are welcome to browse to see them. This was a new visit as we were in the area of Sancerre and is only 43 km to Bourges we decided to give it another visit; we love it!!  Just let me give you a brief introduction for my new readers and update for the old! And again, thank you for reading my blog since Nov 2010, appreciated. Therefore, here is my take on curiosities of Bourges, part I !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

Bourges is in department 18 or Cher. in the region of Centre Val de Loire . It is also the historic capital of Berry, a province of the Ancien Régime (monarchy) corresponding approximately to the current departments of Indre et Cher (no 37). A   few tens of kms from the geometric center of metropolitan France, and 240 km (about 149 miles) south of Paris.

A bit of history I like tell us that before the Romans, this area was inhabited by Gallic people known as the Bituriges Cubes  , that I am told it means “kings of the world” . The uprising of the Bituriges against the Romans and their massacre by the Romans in 53 BC is a major item on the uprising strength of the Gallic people and their main leader Vercingétorix  against Jules Caesar. During the Gallic wars Caesar had several sieges against Bourges for long months. As in the rest of Gallia, Vercingétorix has implemented a tactic of burning and destroying everything before helping to supply the Romans.  The Gallic leader had defended Bourges with natural defenses such as hills around a river, and marshes as well as  a strong wall in the south.  From this wall, we come to the term later of calling the city, the red town (same as was name Le Mans). Caesar took the city anyway and massacre most of the inhabitants. Bourges becomes the seat of the Bishops from where the dioceses of Albi, Cahors, Clermont-Ferrand , Mende, Puy-en-Vélay, Rodez, Saint Flour, and Tulle were attached. It was one of the first diocese founded by Saint Ursin in one of the first evangelical campaigns of the Gaulle around the 4C. The town ,then belonging to the kingdom of Aquitaine was taken by Charles Martel in 731 ,then by Eudes of Aquitaine, Pépin le Bref took it in 762; destroying the walls ramparts and integrating it to the Royal domain under the care of the Counts; he builts a palace from the 767. Early on the 12C, Bourges becomes the seat of the Viscount until the last one Eudes d’Arpin in 1101 sells the county to the king of France ,Louis VI to finance a crusade; the city enters the domain Royal, property of the Crown. In the 14C, the city of Bourges becomes the capital of the duchy of Berry that is given to Jean de Berry as a priviledge.  He is the third child of king of France Jean le Bon and brother of king Charles V. The dauphin , future king Charles VII of France finds refuge in Bourges and used the administration of the city put in place by his grand uncle ,the duke of Berry to be able to take control of his kingdom. Bourges by 1860, was chosen to be the center of army provisions under the Second Empire (Napoléon III)

From the beginning of the 16C, the city of Bourges shone with its University. It welcomes the greatest humanists of the time and in particular great law professors such as Alciat, Le Douaren or Cujas. It was under Alciat that the future reformer Jean Calvin studied law (for 18 months) and it was in Bourges, then one of the places where the wind of the Reformation was blowing the strongest, that he fell under the influence of his German Greek-speaking teacher Melchior Wolmar who converted him to the Lutheran faith.

I have written on the palace of Jacques Coeur (see post) built at the end of the 15C,  but this time went by what was his birth house now a bar! It was acquired in 1420.

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And this is the webpage of the Berry region tourist office on Bourges! They say the 10 not to missed places: https://www.berryprovince.com/ma-destination-le-berry/les-10-incontournables/

There you go folks, a dandy city to visit, and even for a day we enjoy it again. Hope you find the time when possible to stop by Bourges, you will be glad. We shall return! Again, hope you enjoy this post on curiosities of Bourges, part I !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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