Bergerac, Dordogne

{{About|the town|the battle which was fought here in 1345|Battle of Bergerac}}

{{Expand French|Bergerac (Dordogne)|date=October 2021|topic=geo}}

{{Infobox French commune

|name = Bergerac

|native name = {{native name|oc|Brageirac}}

|commune status = Subprefecture and commune

|image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Bergerac2 (Dordogne).svg

|image = Bergerac - Place Pélissière & Église Saint-Jacques - 1.jpg

|image size = 260px

|caption = Place Pélissière and Église Saint-Jacques in the town centre of Bergerac

|arrondissement = Bergerac

|canton = Bergerac-1 and 2

|INSEE = 24037

|postal code = 24100

|mayor = Jonathan Prioleaud{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=6 June 2023|language=fr}}

|party = LR

|term = 2020–2026

|intercommunality = CA Bergeracoise

|coordinates = {{coord|44.85|0.48|format=dms|type:city(26,000)_region:FR-NAQ|display=inline,title}}

|elevation m = 29

|elevation min m = 12

|elevation max m = 146

|area km2 = 56.10

|population = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}

|population date = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}

|population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}

}}

Bergerac ({{IPA|fr|bɛʁʒəʁak|-|Fr-Bergerac.ogg}}; {{Langx|oc|Brageirac}} {{IPA|oc|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.[https://www.sudouest.fr/2013/12/09/bergerac-est-classee-ville-d-art-et-d-histoire-1253928-1733.php?nic "Bergerac est classée Ville d'art et d'histoire"], Sud Ouest (in French), 9 December 2013.

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.[https://www.sudouest.fr/politique/le-21-aout-1944-bergerac-etait-liberee-2508331.php "Le 21 août 1944, Bergerac était libérée"], Sud Ouest (in French), 19 August 2019.

Demographics

{{Historical populations

| align = none

| cols = 2

| percentages = pagr

| source = EHESS{{Cassini-Ehess|3735|Bergerac}} and INSEE (1968–2017)[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-24037#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE

| graph-pos = bottom

|1793 |11720

|1800 |8544

|1806 |8665

|1821 |8044

|1831 |8557

|1836 |9285

|1841 |10102

|1846 |9873

|1851 |10402

|1856 |10875

|1861 |12116

|1866 |12123

|1872 |11699

|1876 |13120

|1881 |15042

|1886 |14353

|1891 |14735

|1896 |15642

|1901 |15936

|1906 |15623

|1911 |16162

|1921 |17041

|1926 |16593

|1931 |17520

|1936 |18902

|1946 |22525

|1954 |23622

|1962 |25185

|1968 |27165

|1975 |27764

|1982 |26832

|1990 |26899

|1999 |26053

|2007 |27601

|2012 |27972

|2017 |26833

}}

Climate

With climate change, Bergerac's climate has varied. A study carried out in 2014 by the Directorate General for Energy and Climate{{Cite web |title=Le climat de la France au XXIe siècle - Volume 4 - Scénarios régionalisés : édition 2014 pour la métropole et les régions d'outre-mer |url=https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/ONERC_Climat_France_XXI_Volume_4_VF.pdf |access-date=June 12, 2021 |website=www.ecologie.gouv.fr/}}. predicts that the average temperature should increase and the average rainfall decrease.

{{Weather box|width=auto

|metric first=y

|single line=y

|collapsed = Y

|location = Bergerac (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1988–present)

|Jan record high C = 19.1

|Feb record high C = 25.9

|Mar record high C = 26.6

|Apr record high C = 29.7

|May record high C = 33.2

|Jun record high C = 39.5

|Jul record high C = 40.5

|Aug record high C = 41.1

|Sep record high C = 37.5

|Oct record high C = 32.7

|Nov record high C = 24.8

|Dec record high C = 20.0

|Jan record low C = -10.5

|Feb record low C = -17.1

|Mar record low C = -12.0

|Apr record low C = -5.1

|May record low C = -1.5

|Jun record low C = 2.9

|Jul record low C = 6.4

|Aug record low C = 4.8

|Sep record low C = 1.2

|Oct record low C = -5.5

|Nov record low C = -9.8

|Dec record low C = -12.4

|Jan high C = 9.9

|Feb high C = 11.7

|Mar high C = 15.7

|Apr high C = 18.2

|May high C = 22.0

|Jun high C = 25.5

|Jul high C = 27.7

|Aug high C = 27.9

|Sep high C = 24.4

|Oct high C = 19.8

|Nov high C = 13.7

|Dec high C = 10.4

| year high C = 18.9

|Jan mean C = 5.9

|Feb mean C = 6.5

|Mar mean C = 9.7

|Apr mean C = 12.1

|May mean C = 15.8

|Jun mean C = 19.3

|Jul mean C = 21.1

|Aug mean C = 21.1

|Sep mean C = 17.6

|Oct mean C = 14.2

|Nov mean C = 9.2

|Dec mean C = 6.3

| year mean C = 13.2

|Jan low C = 2.0

|Feb low C = 1.3

|Mar low C = 3.7

|Apr low C = 6.0

|May low C = 9.6

|Jun low C = 13.1

|Jul low C = 14.6

|Aug low C = 14.3

|Sep low C = 10.8

|Oct low C = 8.6

|Nov low C = 4.7

|Dec low C = 2.2

| year low C = 7.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 67.0

|Feb precipitation mm = 53.2

|Mar precipitation mm = 53.7

|Apr precipitation mm = 76.1

|May precipitation mm = 77.4

|Jun precipitation mm = 63.2

|Jul precipitation mm = 57.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 61.5

|Sep precipitation mm = 66.2

|Oct precipitation mm = 65.2

|Nov precipitation mm = 76.2

|Dec precipitation mm = 76.2

|year precipitation mm = 792.9

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 11.4

| Feb precipitation days = 8.9

| Mar precipitation days = 10.1

| Apr precipitation days = 11.2

| May precipitation days = 9.8

| Jun precipitation days = 8.4

| Jul precipitation days = 7.0

| Aug precipitation days = 7.5

| Sep precipitation days = 8.4

| Oct precipitation days = 9.3

| Nov precipitation days = 11.0

| Dec precipitation days = 11.1

| year precipitation days =114.2

|Jan sun = 82.8

|Feb sun = 113.6

|Mar sun = 167.9

|Apr sun = 183.2

|May sun = 211.2

|Jun sun = 235.7

|Jul sun = 256.2

|Aug sun = 247.1

|Sep sun = 204.2

|Oct sun = 144.0

|Nov sun = 93.4

|Dec sun = 82.1

|year sun = 2021.3

|source 1 = Meteociel{{cite web

|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=24037005

|title=Normales et records pour Bergerac (24)

|publisher=Meteociel

|access-date=22 November 2024}}}}

File:Bergerac - View in late afternoon.jpg

Economy

File:Vendanges en Côtes-de-bergerac.jpg

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 immigrant British. This trend is not unique to Bergerac and is evident throughout the Dordogne.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/27/its-been-mad-dordogne-town-unexpected-brexit-boom|title = 'It's been mad': Dordogne town's unexpected Brexit boom|website = TheGuardian.com|date = 27 March 2018}} In part, this is driven by house prices which are very affordable when compared with either the French or British national averages.{{Cite web|url=https://www.completefrance.com/living-in-france/real-life/why-is-dordogne-so-popular-with-brits-1-5187294|title=Why is Dordogne so popular with Brits?|date=8 September 2017}} 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; mainly to increase assimilation.{{cite web |url=https://utlbergerac.com/Welcome |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711154015/https://utlbergerac.com/Welcome |archive-date=2019-07-11 |title=Université du Temps Libre de Bergerac}}

Tourism

File:Bergerac - Quai Salvette - 01.jpg

The town has a growing tourism industry. The region's association with wines is also a key motivating factor for much tourism{{Cite web|url=https://www.pays-bergerac-tourisme.com/en/discover/wine-cuisine|title=Wine & cuisine|access-date=11 July 2019|archive-date=11 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711154003/https://www.pays-bergerac-tourisme.com/en/discover/wine-cuisine|url-status=dead}} 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.[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:%C3%89glise_Notre-Dame_(Bergerac) Category:Église Notre-Dame (Bergerac)], Wikimedia Commons The Dordogne River is also a significant tourist attraction for river boat tours and kayak rental.

Cyrano de Bergerac

File:Cyrano de bergerac.JPG

File:Newer statue of Cyrano de Bergerac.jpg

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 Pélissière .

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 student 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:{{cite web |title=Les relations internationales|url=https://www.bergerac.fr/bouger-a-bergerac/les-relations-internationales/|website=bergerac.fr|publisher=Bergerac|language=fr|access-date=2019-11-21}}