Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon ; ) is a city on the river
Garonne The Garonne ( , ; Catalan language, Catalan, Basque language, Basque and , ; or ) is a river that flows in southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux 鈥 ...
in the
Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.
department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the
Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...
region, as well as the
prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...
of the Gironde department. Its inhabitants are called "''Bordelais'' (masculine) or "''Bordelaises'' (feminine). The term "Bordelais" may also refer to the city and its surrounding region. The city of Bordeaux proper had a population of 259,809 in 2020 within its small municipal territory of , but together with its
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
s and
exurb An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburbs, suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing-density, and rela ...
s the Bordeaux
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
had a population of 1,376,375 that same year (Jan. 2020 census), the sixth-most populated in France after
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 ...
,
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Proven莽al: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rh么ne and Sa么ne, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
,
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rh么ne and of the Provence-Alpes-C么te d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
,
Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the De没le river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
, and
Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
. Bordeaux and 27 suburban municipalities form the Bordeaux Metropolis, an
indirectly elected An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...
metropolitan authority now in charge of wider metropolitan issues. The Bordeaux Metropolis, with a population of 819,604 at the January 2020 census, is the fifth most populated metropolitan council in France after those of
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 ...
,
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rh么ne and of the Provence-Alpes-C么te d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
,
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Proven莽al: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rh么ne and Sa么ne, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
and
Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the De没le river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
. Bordeaux is a world capital of wine: many
ch芒teau A ch芒teau (, ; plural: ch芒teaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking re ...
x and
vineyards A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
stand on the hillsides of the
Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.
, and the city is home to the world's main wine fair,
Vinexpo Vinexpo is one of the largest exhibitions for wine and spirits professionals from all over the world, held in Bordeaux in uneven years. The first event dates back to year 1981 gathering 524 exhibitors from 21 countries 11,000 professional visitors ...
. Bordeaux is also one of the centers of gastronomy and business tourism for the organization of international congresses. It is a central and strategic hub for the aeronautics, military and space sector, home to major companies such as
Dassault Aviation Dassault Aviation SA () is a French Aerospace manufacturer, manufacturer of military aircraft and business jets. It was founded in 1929 by Marcel Dassault, Marcel Bloch as Soci茅t茅 des Avions Marcel Bloch (Marcel Bloch Aircraft Company). After ...
,
ArianeGroup ArianeGroup (formerly Airbus Safran Launchers) is an aerospace company based in France. A joint venture between Airbus and Safran, the company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris. It consists of three core ...
,
Safran Safran S.A. () is a French Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace, defence industry, defence and computer security, security corporation headquartered in Paris. It designs, develops and manufactures both commercial and military airc ...
and
Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; ; ) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek Pre-Socratic philosophy, pre-Socratic Philosophy, philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. Thales was one of the Seven Sages of Greece, Seven Sages, founding figure ...
. The link with aviation dates back to 1910, the year the first airplane flew over the city. A crossroads of knowledge through university research, it is home to one of the only two
megajoule laser The joule ( , or ; symbol: J) is the unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI). In terms of SI base units, one joule corresponds to one kilogram- metre squared per second squared One joule is equal to the amount of work done ...
s in the world, as well as a university population of more than 130,000 students within the Bordeaux Metropolis. Bordeaux is an international tourist destination for its architectural and cultural heritage with more than 362 historic
monuments A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
, making it, after Paris, the city with the most listed or registered monuments in France. The "Pearl of Aquitaine" has been voted European Destination of the year in a 2015 online poll. The metropolis has also received awards and rankings by international organizations such as in 1957, Bordeaux was awarded the Europe Prize for its efforts in transmitting the European ideal. In June 2007, the
Port of the Moon The ''Port de la Lune'' (Port of the Moon) is the name given to the harbour of Bordeaux, dating to the Middle Ages, because of the shape of the river crossing the city. It is represented by a crescent on the coat of arms of Bordeaux, and by three ...
in historic Bordeaux was inscribed on the
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 ...
World Heritage List 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 ...
, for its outstanding architecture and urban ensemble and in recognition of Bordeaux's international importance over the last 2000 years. Bordeaux is also ranked as a Sufficiency city by the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) is a British think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. It is based in the geography department of Loughborough University in Leic ...
.


History


5th century BC to 11th century AD

Around 300 BC, the region was the settlement of a
Celtic tribe This is a list of ancient Celtic peoples and tribes. Continental Celts Continental Celts were the Celtic peoples that inhabited mainland Europe and Anatolia (also known as Asia Minor). In the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, Celts inhabited a large ...
, the
Bituriges Vivisci The Bituriges Vivisci (Gaulish: ''Bitur墨ges Uiuisci'') were a Gallic tribe dwelling near modern-day Bordeaux during the Roman period. They had a homonym tribe, the Bituriges Cubi in the Berry region, which could indicate a common origin, althou ...
, who named the town Burdigala, probably of
Aquitanian Aquitanian may refer to: *Aquitanian (stage), a geological age, the first stage of the Miocene Epoch *Aquitanian language, an ancient language spoken in the region later known as Gascony *Aquitani (or Aquitanians), were a people living in what is n ...
origin. In 107 BC, the
Battle of Burdigala The Battle of Burdigala (Roman name for Bordeaux) took place during the Cimbrian War in 107 BC. The battle was fought between a combined Germano-Celtic army including the Helvetian Tigurini under the command of Divico, and the forces of the ...
was fought by the Romans who were defending the
Allobroges The Allobroges (Gaulish language, Gaulish: *''Allobrogis'', 'foreigner, exiled'; ) were a Gauls, Gallic people dwelling in a large territory between the Rh么ne river and the Alps during the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman period. The Allob ...
, a
Gallic tribe The Gauls (; , ''Gal谩tai'') were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). They spoke Gaulish, a continental Celt ...
allied to Rome, and the
Tigurini The Tigurini were a clan or tribe forming one out of four '' pagi'' (provinces) of the Helvetii. The Tigurini were the most important group of the Helvetii, mentioned by both Julius Caesar and Poseidonius, settling in the area of what is now t ...
led by
Divico Divico was a Celtic king and the leader of the Helvetian tribe of the Tigurini. During the Cimbrian War, in which the Cimbri and Teutons invaded the Roman Republic, he led the Tigurini across the Rhine to invade Gaul in 109 BC. He defeated a R ...
. The Romans were defeated and their commander, the
consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...
Lucius Cassius Longinus, was killed in battle. The city came under
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
rule around 60 BC, and it became an important commercial centre for
tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...
and
lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
. During this period were built the amphitheatre and the monument ''Les
Piliers de Tutelle The Piliers de Tutelle (meaning ''Pillars of Guardianship'' in French) was an important Gallo-Roman monument erected in the third century on the approximate location of the southwest corner of the Grand Th茅芒tre de Bordeaux, Grand Th茅芒tre of ...
''. In 276 AD, it was sacked by the
Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...
. The Vandals attacked again in 409, followed by the
Visigoths The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
in 414, and 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 ...
in 498, and afterwards the city fell into a period of relative obscurity. In the late 6th century AD the city re-emerged as the seat of a county and an archdiocese within the
Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...
kingdom of the Franks The Kingdom of the Franks (), also known as the Frankish Kingdom, or just Francia, was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Frankish Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties during the Early Middle Ag ...
, but royal Frankish power was never strong. The city started to play a regional role as a major urban center on the fringes of the newly founded Frankish
Duchy of Vasconia The Duchy of Gascony or Duchy of Vasconia was a duchy located in present-day southwestern France and northeastern Spain, an area encompassing the modern region of Gascony. The Duchy of Gascony, then known as ''Wasconia'', was originally a Franki ...
. Around 585 Gallactorius was made
Count of Bordeaux The Count of Bordeaux (Latin ''comes Burdagalensis'') was the ruler of the city of Bordeaux and its environs in the Merovingian and Carolingian periods. The names of the counts are scarcely known until the ninth century, when they start to take on a ...
and fought the
Basques The Basques ( or ; ; ; ) are a Southwestern European ethnic group, characterised by the Basque language, a Basque culture, common culture and shared genetic ancestry to the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians. Basques are indigenous peoples, ...
. In 732, the city was plundered by the troops of Abd er Rahman who stormed the fortifications and overwhelmed the
Aquitanian Aquitanian may refer to: *Aquitanian (stage), a geological age, the first stage of the Miocene Epoch *Aquitanian language, an ancient language spoken in the region later known as Gascony *Aquitani (or Aquitanians), were a people living in what is n ...
garrison. Duke Eudes mustered a force to engage the Umayyads, eventually engaging them in the
Battle of the River Garonne The Battle of the River Garonne, also known as the Battle of Bordeaux,Matthew Bennett ''The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ancient & Medieval Warfare'' 1579581161 1998 p319 "In 732 a large army of (70,000-80,000) men led by Abd ar-Rahman defeated the A ...
somewhere near the river
Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in P茅rigueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...
. The battle had a high death toll, and although Eudes was defeated he had enough troops to engage in the
Battle of Poitiers The Battle of Poitiers was fought on 19September 1356 between a Kingdom of France, French army commanded by King John II of France, King JohnII and an Kingdom of England, Anglo-Gascony, Gascon force under Edward the Black Prince, Edward, the ...
and so retain his grip on Aquitaine. In 737, following his father Eudes's death, the Aquitanian duke Hunald led a rebellion to which
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
responded by launching an expedition that captured Bordeaux. However, it was not retained for long, during the following year the Frankish commander clashed in battle with the Aquitanians but then left to take on hostile Burgundian authorities and magnates. In 745 Aquitaine faced another expedition where Charles's sons Pepin and Carloman challenged Hunald's power and defeated him. Hunald's son Waifer replaced him and confirmed Bordeaux as the capital city (along with Bourges in the north). During the last stage of the war against Aquitaine (760鈥768), it was one of Waifer's last important strongholds to fall to the troops of King
Pepin the Short the Short (; ; ; 鈥 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 ...
. Charlemagne built the fortress of Fronsac (''Frontiacus'', ''Franciacus'') near Bordeaux on a hill across the border with the Basques (''Wascones''), where Basque commanders came and pledged their loyalty (769). In 778, Seguin (or Sihimin) was appointed count of Bordeaux, probably undermining the power of the Duke Lupo, and possibly leading to the
Battle of Roncevaux Pass The Battle of Roncevaux Pass ( French and English spelling, '' Roncesvalles'' in Spanish, ''Orreaga'' in Basque) in 778 saw a large force of Basques ambush a part of Charlemagne's army in Roncevaux Pass, a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees on ...
. In 814, Seguin was made Duke of
Vasconia The Duchy of Gascony or Duchy of Vasconia was a duchy located in present-day southwestern France and northeastern Spain, an area encompassing the modern region of Gascony. The Duchy of Gascony, then known as ''Wasconia'', was originally a Frankis ...
, but was deposed in 816 for failing to suppress a Basque rebellion. Under the
Carolingians The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid ...
, sometimes the Counts of Bordeaux held the title concomitantly with that of Duke of Vasconia. They were to keep the Basques in check and defend the mouth of the Garonne from the
Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9 ...
s when they appeared in c. 844. In Autumn 845, the Vikings were raiding Bordeaux and Saintes, count Seguin II marched on them but was captured and executed. Although the port of Bordeaux was a buzzing trade center, the stability and success of the city was threatened by
Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9 ...
and
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...
incursions and political instability. The restoration of the Ramnulfid
Dukes of Aquitaine The duke of Aquitaine (, , ) was the ruler of the medieval region of Aquitaine (not to be confused with modern-day Aquitaine) under the supremacy of Frankish, English, and later French kings. As successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom (4 ...
under
William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 鈥 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...
and his successors (known as the
House of Poitiers The Ramnulfids, or the House of Poitiers, were a French dynasty of Frankish origin ruling the County of Poitou and Duchy of Aquitaine in the 9th through 12th centuries. Their power base shifted from Toulouse to Poitou. In the early 10th cent ...
) brought continuity of government.


12th century to 15th century, the English era

From the 12th to the 15th century, Bordeaux flourished once more following the marriage of El茅onore, Duchess of
Aquitaine Aquitaine (, ; ; ; ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Agui茅ne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne (), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former Regions of France, administrative region. Since 1 January 2016 it has been part of the administ ...
and the last of the
House of Poitiers The Ramnulfids, or the House of Poitiers, were a French dynasty of Frankish origin ruling the County of Poitou and Duchy of Aquitaine in the 9th through 12th centuries. Their power base shifted from Toulouse to Poitou. In the early 10th cent ...
, to Henry II Plantagen锚t,
Count of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by King Charles the Bald, Charles the Bald of West Francia in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the t ...
and the grandson of
Henry I of England Henry I ( 鈥 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...
, who succeeded to the English crown months after their wedding, bringing into being the vast
Angevin Empire The Angevin Empire (; ) was the collection of territories held by the House of Plantagenet during the 12th and 13th centuries, when they ruled over an area covering roughly all of present-day England, half of France, and parts of Ireland and Wal ...
, which stretched from the
Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
to Ireland. After granting a tax-free trade status with England, Henry was adored by the locals as they could be even more profitable in the wine trade, their main source of income, and the city benefited from imports of cloth and wheat. The belfry (Grosse Cloche) and city cathedral St-Andr茅 were built, the latter in 1227, incorporating the artisan quarter of Saint-Paul. Under the terms of the
Treaty of Br茅tigny A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, conventio ...
it became briefly the capital of an independent state (1362鈥1372) under
Edward, the Black Prince Edward of Woodstock (15 June 1330 鈥 8 June 1376), known as the Black Prince, was the eldest son and heir apparent of King Edward III of England. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II of England, Richard II, succession to the Br ...
, but after the
Battle of Castillon The Battle of Castillon was a battle between the forces of England and France which took place on 17 July 1453 in Gascony near the town of Castillon-sur-Dordogne (later Castillon-la-Bataille). On the day of the battle, the English commande ...
(1453) it was annexed by France.


15th century to 17th century

In 1462, Bordeaux created a local parliament. Bordeaux adhered to the
Fronde The Fronde () was a series of civil wars in the Kingdom of France between 1648 and 1653, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The government of the young King Louis XIV confronted the combined opposition ...
, being effectively annexed to the
Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...
only in 1653, when the army of
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonn茅; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
entered the city.


18th century, the golden era

The 18th century saw another golden age of Bordeaux. The
Port of the Moon The ''Port de la Lune'' (Port of the Moon) is the name given to the harbour of Bordeaux, dating to the Middle Ages, because of the shape of the river crossing the city. It is represented by a crescent on the coat of arms of Bordeaux, and by three ...
supplied the majority of Europe with coffee, cocoa, sugar, cotton and indigo, becoming France's busiest port and the second busiest port in the world after London. Many downtown buildings (about 5,000), including those on the quays, are from this period. Bordeaux was also a major trading centre for slaves. In total, the Bordeaux shipowners deported 150,000 Africans in some 500 expeditions.


French Revolution: political disruption and loss of the most profitable colony

At the beginning of the French Revolution (1789), many local revolutionaries were members of the
Girondists The Girondins (, ), also called Girondists, were a political group during the French Revolution. From 1791 to 1793, the Girondins were active in the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention. Together with the Montagnards, they initiall ...
. This Party represented the provincial bourgeoisie, favorable towards abolishing aristocratic privileges, but opposed to the Revolution's social dimension. The Gironde valley's economic value and significance was satiated by the city's commercial power which was in dire contrast to the emerging widespread poverty affecting its inhabitants. Trade and commerce were the driving factors in the region's economic prosperity, still this resulted in a significant number of locals struggling to survive on a daily basis due to lack of food and resources. This socioeconomic disparity served as fertile ground for discontent, sparking frequent episodes of mass unrest well before the tumultuous events of 1783. In 1793, the
Montagnards Montagnard (''of the mountain'' or ''mountain dweller'') may refer to: *Montagnard (French Revolution), members of The Mountain (''La Montagne''), a political group during the French Revolution (1790s) **Montagnard (1848 revolution), members of the ...
led by
Robespierre Maximilien Fran莽ois Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; ; 6 May 1758 鈥 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman, widely recognised as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. Robespierre fer ...
and Marat came to power. Fearing a bourgeois misappropriation of the Revolution, they executed a great number of Girondists. During the purge, the local Montagnard Section renamed the city of Bordeaux "Commune-Franklin" (Franklin-municipality) in homage to
Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclop忙dia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...
. At the same time, in 1791, a
slave revolt A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by slaves, as a way of fighting for their freedom. Rebellions of slaves have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery or have practiced slavery in the past. A desire for freedom and the dream o ...
broke out at
Saint-Domingue Saint-Domingue () was a French colonization of the Americas, French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1803. The name derives from the Spanish main city on the isl ...
(current
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
), the most profitable of the French colonies. In the lively era of the 18th century, Bordeaux emerged as a center of economic activity, particularly known at first for its successful wine trade. The city's placement along the Gironde River was very strategic, helping to facilitate the transportation of produce to markets both internationally and domestically, which led to an increase in exports and Bordeaux's economic prosperity. There was a significant transformation to the economic landscape of Bordeaux in 1785, which was spurred by the attraction of large profits, traders and merchants in Bordeaux began to turn their attention to the slave trade. This was a very important moment in the city's economic history seeing as it diversified its commercial expansion, at a serious moral cost. This introduced a new layer of difficulty to Bordeaux's economic activities. Even though it brought along significant wealth to certain segments of society, it complicated the socio-economic inconsistencies within the region. The entry into the slave trade brought even more tension within Bordeaux society. The trade exacerbated the divide between an elite with growing wealth and those living in poverty. This economic divide laid out the foundation for the mass unrest that would break out in the French Revolution. Three years later, the Montagnard Convention abolished slavery. In 1802, Napoleon revoked the manumission law but lost the war against the army of former slaves. In 1804, Haiti became independent. The loss of this "Pearl" of the West Indies generated the collapse of Bordeaux's port economy, which was dependent on the colonial trade and trade in slaves. Towards the end of the
Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808鈥1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
of 1814, the
Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...
sent William Beresford with two divisions and seized Bordeaux, encountering little resistance. Bordeaux was largely anti-
Bonapartist Bonapartism () is the political ideology supervening from Napoleon Bonaparte and his followers and successors. The term was used in the narrow sense to refer to people who hoped to restore the House of Bonaparte and its style of government. In ...
and the majority supported the
Bourbons The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. A branch descended from ...
. The British troops were treated as liberators. Distinguished historian of the French revolution Suzanne Desan explains that "examining intricate local dynamics" is essential to studying the Revolution by region.


19th century, rebirth of the economy

From the
Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...
, the economy of Bordeaux was rebuilt by traders and shipowners. They engaged to construct the first bridge of Bordeaux, and customs warehouses. The shipping traffic grew through the new African colonies.
Georges-Eug猫ne Haussmann Georges-Eug猫ne Haussmann (; 27 March 180911 January 1891), commonly known as Baron Haussmann, was a French official who served as prefect of Seine (1853鈥1870), chosen by Emperor Napoleon III to carry out a massive urban renewal programme of n ...
, a longtime prefect of Bordeaux, used Bordeaux's 18th-century large-scale rebuilding as a model when he was asked by Emperor
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napol茅on Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
to transform the quasi-medieval Paris into a "modern" capital that would make France proud. Victor Hugo found the town so beautiful he said: "Take Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux". In 1870, at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian war against Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia, the French government temporarily relocated to Bordeaux from Paris. That recurred during World War I and again very briefly during World War II, when it became clear that Paris would fall into German hands.


20th century

During World War II, Bordeaux fell under German military administration in occupied France during World War II, German occupation. In May and June 1940, Bordeaux was the site of the life-saving actions of the Portuguese consul-general, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who granted thousands of Portuguese visas, which were needed to pass the Spanish border, to refugees fleeing the German occupation. From 1941 to 1943, the Regia Marina, Italian Royal Navy established BETASOM, a submarine base at Bordeaux. Italian submarines participated in the Battle of the Atlantic from that base, which was also a major base for German U-boats as headquarters of 12th U-boat Flotilla. The massive, reinforced concrete U-boat pens have proved impractical to demolish and are now partly used as a cultural center for exhibitions.


21st century, listed as World heritage

In 2007, 40% of the city surface area, located around the
Port of the Moon The ''Port de la Lune'' (Port of the Moon) is the name given to the harbour of Bordeaux, dating to the Middle Ages, because of the shape of the river crossing the city. It is represented by a crescent on the coat of arms of Bordeaux, and by three ...
, was listed as World Heritage Site.
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 ...
inscribed Bordeaux as "an inhabited historic city, an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble, created in the age of the Enlightenment, whose values continued up to the first half of the 20th century, with more protected buildings than any other French city except Paris".


Geography

Bordeaux is located close to the European Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast, in the southwest of France and in the north of the Aquitaine region. It is around southwest of Paris. The city is built on a bend of the Garonne, river Garonne, and is divided into two parts: the right bank to the east and left bank in the west. Historically the left bank is more developed because when flowing outside the bend, the water makes a furrow of the required depth to allow the passing of merchant ships, which used to offload on this side of the river. But, today, the right bank is developing, including new urban projects. In Bordeaux, the Garonne River is accessible to ocean liners through the Gironde estuary. The right bank of the Garonne is a low-lying, often marshy plain.


Climate

Bordeaux's climate can be classified as oceanic climate, oceanic (K枚ppen climate classification ''Cfb''), bordering on a humid subtropical climate (''Cfa''). However, the Trewartha climate classification system classifies the city as solely humid subtropical, due to a recent rise in temperatures related 鈥 to some degree or another 鈥 to climate change and the city's urban heat island. The city enjoys cool to mild, wet winters, due to its relatively southerly latitude, and the prevalence of mild, westerly winds from the Atlantic. Its summers are warm and somewhat drier, although wet enough to avoid a Mediterranean climate, Mediterranean classification. Frosts occur annually, but snowfall is quite infrequent, occurring for no more than 3鈥4 days a year. The 2003 European heat wave, summer of 2003 set a record with an average temperature of , while February 1956 was the coldest month on record with an average temperature of 鈭2.00 掳C at Bordeaux M茅rignac-Airport.


Economy

Bordeaux is a major centre for business in France as it has the sixth largest metropolitan population in France. It serves as a major regional center for trade, administration, services and industry.


Wine

The vine was introduced to the Bordeaux region by the Romans, probably in the mid-first century, to provide wine for local consumption, and wine production has been continuous in the region since. Bordeaux wine growing area has about of vineyards, 57 appellations, 10,000 wine-producing estates (ch芒teaux) and 13,000 grape growers. With an annual production of approximately 960 million bottles, the Bordeaux area produces large quantities of everyday wine as well as some of the most expensive wines in the world. Included among the latter are the area's five ''premier cru'' (First Growth) red wines (four from M茅doc and one, Ch芒teau Haut-Brion, from Graves (wine region), Graves), established by the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855: Both red and white wines are made in the Bordeaux region. Red Bordeaux wine is called claret in the United Kingdom. Red wines are generally made from a blend of grapes, and may be made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit verdot, Malbec, and, less commonly in recent years, Carm茅n猫re. White Bordeaux is made from Sauvignon blanc, S茅millon, and Muscadelle. Graves (wine region), Sauternes is a sub-region of Graves known for its intensely sweet, white, dessert wines such as Ch芒teau d'Yquem. Because of a wine glut (wine lake) in the generic production, the price squeeze induced by an increasingly strong international competition, and vine pull schemes, the number of growers has recently dropped from 14,000 and the area under vine has also decreased significantly. In the meantime, the global demand for first growths and the most famous labels markedly increased and their prices skyrocketed. The Cit茅 du Vin, a museum as well as a place of exhibitions, shows, movie projections and academic seminars on the theme of wine opened its doors in June 2016.


Others

The Laser M茅gajoule will be one of the most powerful lasers in the world, allowing Research, fundamental research and the development of the laser and plasma (physics), plasma technologies. Some 15,000 people work for the aeronautic industry in Bordeaux. The city has some of the biggest companies including Dassault Aviation, Dassault, EADS Sogerma, Snecma,
Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; ; ) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek Pre-Socratic philosophy, pre-Socratic Philosophy, philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. Thales was one of the Seven Sages of Greece, Seven Sages, founding figure ...
, SNPE, and others. The Dassault Aviation, Dassault Falcon private jets are built there as well as the military aircraft Dassault Rafale, Rafale and Dassault Mirage 2000, Mirage 2000, the Airbus A380 cockpit, the Booster (rocketry), boosters of Ariane 5, and the M51 (missile), M51 SLBM missile. Tourism, especially wine tourism, is a major industry. Globelink.co.uk mentioned Bordeaux as the best tourist destination in Europe in 2015. Gourmet Touring is a tourism company operating in the Bordeaux wine region. Access to the Port of Bordeaux, port from the Atlantic is via the Gironde estuary. Almost nine million tonnes of goods arrive and leave each year.


Major companies

This list includes indigenous Bordeaux-based companies and companies that have major presence in Bordeaux, but are not necessarily headquartered there. * Arena (swimwear), Arena * Groupe Bernard * Groupe Castel * Cdiscount * Dassault Group, Dassault * Jock (company), Jock * Marie Brizard et Roger International, Marie Brizard * McKesson Corporation * Oxbow (surfwear), Oxbow * Pernod Ricard, Ricard * Sanofi-Aventis, Sanofi Aventis * Smurfit Kappa * Snecma * Solectron * Thales Group
Tours in Bordeaux


Population

In January 2020, there were 259,809 inhabitants in the city proper (commune) of Bordeaux. The commune (including Caud茅ran which was annexed by Bordeaux in 1965) had its largest population of 284,494 at the 1954 census. The majority of the population is French, but there are sizable groups of Italians, Spanish people, Spaniards, Portuguese people, Portuguese, Turkish people, Turks, Germans. The built-up area has grown for more than a century beyond the municipal borders of Bordeaux due to the small size of the commune () and urban sprawl. By January 2020 there were 1,376,375 people living in the overall metropolitan area (''aire d'attraction'') of Bordeaux, only a fifth of whom lived in the city proper.


Politics


Municipal administration

The Mayor of the city is the environmentalist Pierre Hurmic. Bordeaux is the capital of five cantons and the Prefecture of the
Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.
and Aquitaine. The town is divided into three districts, the first three of Gironde. The headquarters of Urban Community of Bordeaux M茅riadeck is located in the neighbourhood and the city is at the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry that bears his name. The number of inhabitants of Bordeaux is greater than 250,000 and less than 299,999 so the number of municipal councilors is 65. They are divided according to the following composition:


Mayors of Bordeaux

Since the Liberation of France, Liberation (1944), there have been six mayors of Bordeaux: * Rally for the Republic, RPR was renamed to Union for a Popular Movement, UMP in 2002 which was later renamed to Les R茅publicains, LR in 2015.


Elections


Presidential elections of 2007

At the 2007 presidential election, the Bordelais gave 31.37% of their votes to S茅gol猫ne Royal of the Socialist Party against 30.84% to Nicolas Sarkozy, president of the UMP. Then came Fran莽ois Bayrou with 22.01%, followed by Jean-Marie Le Pen who recorded 5.42%. None of the other candidates exceeded the 5% mark. Nationally, Nicolas Sarkozy led with 31.18%, then S茅gol猫ne Royal with 25.87%, followed by Fran莽ois Bayrou with 18.57%. After these came Jean-Marie Le Pen with 10.44%, none of the other candidates exceeded the 5% mark. In the second round, the city of Bordeaux gave S茅gol猫ne Royal 52.44% against 47.56% for Nicolas Sarkozy, the latter being elected President of the Republic with 53.06% against 46.94% for S茅gol猫ne Royal. The abstention rates for Bordeaux were 14.52% in the first round and 15.90% in the second round.


Parliamentary elections of 2007

In the parliamentary elections of 2007, the left won eight constituencies against only three for the right. After the partial 2008 elections, the eighth district of Gironde switched to the left, bringing the count to nine. In Bordeaux, the left was for the first time in its history the majority as it held two of three constituencies following the elections. In the first division of the Gironde, the outgoing UMP MP Chantal Bourragu茅 was well ahead with 44.81% against 25.39% for the Socialist candidate B茅atrice Desaigues. In the second round, it was Chantal Bourragu茅 who was re-elected with 54.45% against 45.55% for his socialist opponent. In the second district of Gironde the UMP mayor and all new Minister of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea Alain Jupp茅 confronted the General Counsel PS Mich猫le Delaunay. In the first round, Alain Jupp茅 was well ahead with 43.73% against 31.36% for Mich猫le Delaunay. In the second round, it was finally Mich猫le Delaunay who won the election with 50.93% of the votes against 49.07% for Alain Jupp茅, the margin being only 670 votes. The defeat of the so-called constituency "Mayor" showed that Bordeaux was rocking increasingly left. Finally, in the third constituency of the Gironde, No毛l Mam猫re was well ahead with 39.82% against 28.42% for the UMP candidate Elizabeth Vine. In the second round, No毛l Mam猫re was re-elected with 62.82% against 37.18% for his right-wing rival.


Municipal elections of 2008

In 2008 municipal elections saw the clash between mayor of Bordeaux, Alain Jupp茅 and the President of the Regional Council of Aquitaine Socialist Alain Rousset. The PS had put up a Socialist heavyweight in the Gironde and had put great hopes in this election after the victory of S茅gol猫ne Royal and Mich猫le Delaunay in 2007. However, after a rather exciting campaign it was Alain Jupp茅 who was widely elected in the first round with 56.62 percent, far ahead of Alain Rousset who garnered 34.14 percent of the vote. At present, of the eight cantons that has Bordeaux, five are held by the PS and three by the UMP, the left eating a little each time into the right's numbers.


European elections of 2009

In the European elections of 2009, Bordeaux voters largely voted for the UMP candidate Dominique Baudis, who won 31.54% against 15.00% for PS candidate Kader Arif. The candidate of Europe Ecology Jos茅 Bov茅 came second with 22.34%. None of the other candidates reached the 10% mark. The 2009 European elections were like the previous ones in eight constituencies. Bordeaux is located in the district "Southwest", here are the results: UMP candidate Dominique Baudis: 26.89%. His party gained four seats. PS candidate Kader Arif: 17.79%, gaining two seats in the European Parliament. Europe Ecology candidate Bove: 15.83%, obtaining two seats. MoDem candidate Robert Rochefort: 8.61%, winning a seat. Left Front candidate Jean-Luc M茅lenchon: 8.16%, gaining the last seat. At regional elections in 2010, the Socialist incumbent president Alain Rousset won the first round by totaling 35.19% in Bordeaux, but this score was lower than the plan for Gironde and Aquitaine. Xavier Darcos, Minister of Labour followed with 28.40% of the votes, scoring above the regional and departmental average. Then came Monique De Marco, Green candidate with 13.40%, followed by the member of Pyrenees-Atlantiques and candidate of the MoDem Jean Lassalle who registered a low 6.78% while qualifying to the second round on the whole Aquitaine, closely followed by Jacques Colombier, candidate of the National Front, who gained 6.48%. Finally the candidate of the Left Front G茅rard Boulanger with 5.64%, no other candidate above the 5% mark. In the second round, Alain Rousset had a tidal wave win as national totals rose to 55.83%. If Xavier Darcos largely lost the election, he nevertheless achieved a score above the regional and departmental average obtaining 33.40%. Jean Lassalle, who qualified for the second round, passed the 10% mark by totaling 10.77%. The ballot was marked by abstention amounting to 55.51% in the first round and 53.59% in the second round. ''Only candidates obtaining more than 5% are listed''


2017 elections

Bordeaux voted for Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 French presidential election, presidential election. In the 2017 French legislative election, 2017 parliamentary election, La R茅publique En Marche! won most of the constituencies in Bordeaux.


2019 European elections

Bordeaux voted in the 2019 European Parliament election in France.


Municipal elections of 2020

After 73 years of right-of-centre rule, the ecologist Pierre Hurmic (Europe Ecology 鈥 The Greens, EELV) came in ahead of Nicolas Florian (The Republicans (France), LR/LaREM).


Parliamentary representation

The city area is represented by the following List of constituencies of the National Assembly of France, constituencies: Gironde's 1st constituency, Gironde's 1st, Gironde's 2nd constituency, Gironde's 2nd, Gironde's 3rd constituency, Gironde's 3rd, Gironde's 4th constituency, Gironde's 4th, Gironde's 5th constituency, Gironde's 5th, Gironde's 6th constituency, Gironde's 6th, Gironde's 7th constituency, Gironde's 7th.


Education


University

During Antiquity, a first university had been created by the Romans in 286. The city was an important administrative centre and the new university had to train administrators. Only rhetoric and grammar were taught. Ausonius and Sulpicius Severus were two of the teachers. In 1441, when Bordeaux was an English town, the Pope Eugene IV created a university by demand of the archbishop Pey Berland. In 1793, during the French Revolution, the National Convention abolished the university, and replace them with the 脡cole centrale in 1796. In Bordeaux, this one was located in the former buildings of the college of Guyenne. In 1808, the university reappeared with Napoleon. Bordeaux accommodates approximately 70,000 students on one of the largest campuses of Europe (235 ha).


Schools

Bordeaux has numerous public and private schools offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Engineering schools: * Arts et M茅tiers ParisTech, graduate school of industrial and mechanical engineering * ESME-Sudria, graduate school of engineering * 脡cole nationale sup茅rieure d'茅lectronique, informatique, t茅l茅communications, math茅matique et m茅canique de Bordeaux (ENSEIRB-MATMECA) * 脡cole sup茅rieure de technologie des biomol茅cules de Bordeaux * 脡cole nationale sup茅rieure des sciences agronomiques de Bordeaux Aquitaine * 脡cole nationale sup茅rieure de chimie et de physique de Bordeaux, 脡cole nationale sup茅rieure de chimie et physique de Bordeaux * 脡cole pour l'informatique et les nouvelles technologies * Institut des sciences et techniques des aliments de Bordeaux * Institut de cognitique * 脡cole sup茅rieure d'informatique * EPSI, 脡cole priv茅e des sciences informatiques Business and management schools: * The Bordeaux MBA (International College of Bordeaux) * IUT Techniques de Commercialisation of Bordeaux (business school) * INSEEC Business School (Institut des hautes 茅tudes 茅conomiques et commerciales) * KEDGE Business School (former BEM 鈥 Bordeaux Management School) * Vatel Bordeaux International Business School * E-Artsup * Institut sup茅rieur europ茅en de gestion group * Institut sup茅rieur europ茅en de formation par l'action Other: * French National School for the Judiciary, ''脡cole nationale de la magistrature'' (National school for the judiciary) * * * (EFAP) * (CNAM) * (law school)


Weekend education

The , a Hoshuko, part-time Japanese supplementary school, is held in the ''Salle de L'Ath茅n茅e Municipal'' in Bordeaux.娆у窞銇缈掓巿妤牎涓瑕(骞虫垚25骞4鏈15鏃ョ従鍦)


. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Retrieved on 10 May 2014. "Salle de L'Ath茅n茅e Municipal Place St. Christoly, 33000 Bordeaux, FRANCE"


Attractions and tourism

In October 2021, Bordeaux was shortlisted for the European Commission's 2022 European Capital of Smart Tourism award along with Copenhagen, Dublin, Florence, Ljubljana, Palma de Mallorca, and Valencia.


Heritage and architecture

Bordeaux is classified "City of Art and History". The city is home to 362 ''monuments historiques'' (national heritage sites), with some buildings dating back to Roman times. Bordeaux,
Port of the Moon The ''Port de la Lune'' (Port of the Moon) is the name given to the harbour of Bordeaux, dating to the Middle Ages, because of the shape of the river crossing the city. It is represented by a crescent on the coat of arms of Bordeaux, and by three ...
, has been inscribed on World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble". Bordeaux is home to one of Europe's biggest 18th-century architectural urban areas, making it a sought-after destination for tourists and cinema production crews. It stands out as one of the first French cities, after Nancy, France, Nancy, to have entered an era of urbanism and metropolitan big scale projects, with the team Gabriel father and son, architects for King Louis XV of France, Louis XV, under the supervision of two intendants (Governors), first Nicolas-Fran莽ois Dupr茅 de Saint-Maur then the Marquis de Tourny. Saint-Andr茅 Cathedral, Saint-Michel Basilica and Saint-Seurin Basilica are part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. The organ in Saint-Louis-des-Chartrons is registered on the French monuments historiques. Notable historic buildings include: * ''Place de la Bourse'' (1735鈥1755), designed by the Royal architect Jacques Gabriel as landscape for an equestrian statue of Louis XV, now replaced by the ''Fountain of the Three Graces''. * ''Grand Th茅芒tre de Bordeaux, Grand Th茅芒tre'' (1780), a large neoclassical theater built in the 18th century. * ''All茅es de Tourny'' * ''Cours de l'Intendance'' * ''Place du Chapelet'' * ''Place du Parlement'' * ''Place des Quinconces'', the largest square in France. * ''Monument aux Girondins'' * ''Place Saint-Pierre'' * ''Pont de pierre (Bordeaux), Pont de pierre'' (1822) * ''Bordeaux Cathedral (Saint Andr茅)'', consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096 and dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew. Of the original Romanesque edifice only a wall in the nave remains. The Royal Door is from the early 13th century, while the rest of the construction is mostly from the 14th and 15th centuries. * ''Tour Pey-Berland'' (1440鈥1450), a massive, quadrangular Gothic tower annexed to the cathedral. * ''脡glise Sainte-Croix, Sainte-Croix church'': This church, dedicated to the Holy Cross, stands on the site of a seventh-century abbey destroyed by the Saracens. Rebuilt under the Carolingians, it was again destroyed by the Normans in 845 and 864. The present building was erected and was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. The fa莽ade is in Romanesque architecture, Romanesque style. * The Gothic ''Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux, Saint Michel Basilica'', constructed between the end of the 14th century and the 16th century. * Basilica of Saint Severinus of Bordeaux, Basilica of Saint Severinus, the oldest church in Bordeaux, built in the early sixth century on the site of a palaeo-Christian necropolis. It has an 11th-century portico, while the apse and transept are from the 12th. The 13th-century nave has chapels from the 11th and the 14th centuries. The ancient crypt houses tombs of the Merovingian family. * ''脡glise Saint-Pierre'', Gothic church * ''脡glise Saint-脡loi'', Gothic church * ''脡glise Saint-Bruno'', baroque church decorated with frescoes * ''脡glise Notre-Dame'', baroque church * ''脡glise Saint-Paul-Saint-Fran莽ois-Xavier'', baroque church * ''Palais Rohan, Bordeaux, Palais Rohan'', once the archbishop's residence, now city hall * , the remains of a late second-century Ancient Rome, Roman amphitheatre * ''Porte Cailhau'', a medieval gatehouse in the old city walls. * ''La Grosse Cloche'' (15th century), the second remaining gate in the medieval walls. It was the Bell tower, belfry of the old Town Hall. It consists of two circular towers and a central bell tower housing a bell (instrument), bell weighing . The clock is from 1759. * ''Great Synagogue of Bordeaux, Grande Synagogue'', completed 1882 * ''Sainte-Catherine Street (Bordeaux), Rue Sainte-Catherine'', the longest pedestrian street in France * ''Darwin ecosystem'', alternative place into former military barracks * The BETASOM submarine base File:Le Palais Gallien vestige gallo-romain 脿 Bordeaux.jpg, Palais Gallien File:Cath茅drale St Andr茅 Bordeaux 3.jpg, Bordeaux Cathedral (Saint Andr茅) File:Bordeaux Porte Cailhau R02.jpg, Porte Cailhau File:Grand Th茅芒tre Bordeaux.jpg, Grand Th茅芒tre File:Bordeaux Notre-Dame R01.jpg, The Notre Dame church File:151 - Le Pont de Pierre - Bordeaux.jpg, Pont de pierre (Bordeaux), Pont de Pierre File:Bordeaux - Basilique Saint-Michel - Vue g茅n茅rale.jpg, Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux, Basilica of Saint Michel File:Puerta de Burdeos.JPG, Grosse cloche File:026 - H么tel de ville Place Pey-Berland - Bordeaux.jpg, Palais Rohan, Bordeaux, Palais Rohan (town hall) File:FacadeSainteCroixBordeauxsoir.jpg, 脡glise Sainte-Croix, Sainte-Croix church File:Bordeaux Place du Parlement R01.jpg, Place du Parlement File:Synagogue Bx 5.jpg, The Great Synagogue of Bordeaux, Grand Synagogue File:Fa莽ades de deux ouvrages Art D茅co du Quartier Lescure (Bordeaux).jpg, Facades of the Art d茅co district File:Darwin - Magasin g茅n茅ral.jpg, Darwin district File:Basesousmarine.JPG, Submarine Pen Contemporary buildings in contemporary architectural style include: * Cit茅 Frug猫s de Pessac, ''Cit茅 Frug猫s'', district of Pessac, built by Le Corbusier, 1924鈥1926, listed as UNESCO heritage * Fire Station, ''la Benauge'', Claude Ferret/Adrien Courtois/Yves Salier, 1951鈥1954 * M茅riadeck district, 1960鈥70's * ''Tribunal d'instance, Court of first instance'', Richard Rogers, 1998 * CTBA, wood and furniture research center, A. Loisier, 1998 * Hangar 14 on the ''Quai des Chartrons'', 1999 * The Management Science faculty on the Bastide, Anne Lacaton/Jean-Philippe Vassal, 2006 * The ''Jardin botanique de la Bastide'', Catherine Mosbach/Fran莽oise H茅l猫ne Jourda/Pascal Convert, 2007 * The Nuyens School complex on the Bastide, Yves Ballot/Nathalie Franck, 2007 * Seeko'o Hotel on the Quai de Bacalan, King Kong architects, 2007 * Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Matmut Atlantique stadium, Herzog & de Meuron, 2015 * Cit茅 du Vin, XTU architects, Anouk Legendre & Nicolas Desmazi猫res, 2016 * MECA of Bordeaux, MECA, Maison de l'脡conomie Cr茅ative et de la culture de la R茅gion Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bjarke Ingels, 2019 File:Cit茅 Frug猫s, Pessac 08.jpg, Cit茅 Frug猫s de Pessac, ''Cit茅 Frug猫s'', at Pessac File:Bordeaux Meriadeck.JPG, M茅riadeck district File:Bordeaux Palais de Justice 23.JPG, Court of first instance File:Seeko'o Hotel, Bordeaux, July 2014 (03).JPG, Seeko'o hotel File:Cite du vin Bordeaux 2017 (37500642606).jpg, Cit茅 du Vin File:RB 20200222 Bordeaux-11.jpg, MECA of Bordeaux, MECA


Museums

* Mus茅e des beaux-arts de Bordeaux, ''Mus茅e des Beaux-Arts'' (''Fine arts museum''), one of the finest painting galleries in France with paintings by painter such as Tiziano, Paolo Veronese, Veronese, Rubens, Van Dyck, Frans Hals, Claude Lorrain, Claude, Jean-Baptiste-Sim茅on Chardin, Chardin, Eug猫ne Delacroix, Delacroix, Renoir, Seurat, Odilon Redon, Redon, Matisse and Picasso. * ''Mus茅e d'Aquitaine'' (archeological and history museum) * ''Mus茅e du Vin et du N茅goce'' (museum of the wine trade) * (museum of decorative arts and design) * ''Mus茅e d'Histoire Naturelle'' (natural history museum) * ''Mus茅e Mer Marine'' (Sea and Navy museum) * ''Cit茅 du Vin'' * ''CAPC mus茅e d'art contemporain de Bordeaux'' (modern art museum) * ''Mus茅e national des douanes'' (history of French customs) * ''Bordeaux Patrimoine Mondial'' (architectural and heritage interpretation centre) * ''Mus茅e d'ethnologie'' (ethnology museum) * ''Institut culturel Bernard Magrez'', modern and streetart museum into an 18th-century mansion * Cervantez Institute (into the house of Francisco Goya, Goya) * :fr:Cap Sciences, ''Cap Sciences'' * ''Centre Jean Moulin'' File:Beaux arts bordeaux.jpg, Mus茅e des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, ''Mus茅e des Beaux-Arts'' File:Mus茅e Aquitaine.JPG, ''Mus茅e d'Aquitaine'' File:H么tel de Lalande - Mus茅e des arts d茅coratifs et du design de Bordeaux.jpg, File:CAPC janvier 2018.jpg, ''CAPC mus茅e d'art contemporain de Bordeaux'' File:Mus茅e du vin et du n茅goce de Bordeaux (3).jpg, ''Mus茅e du vin et du n茅goce de Bordeaux''


Slavery memorials

Slavery was part of a growing drive for the city. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Bordeaux was an important Slave Trade, slave port, which saw some 500 slave expeditions that cause the deportation of 150,000 Africans by Bordeaux shipowners. Secondly, even though the "Triangular trade" represented only 5% of Bordeaux's wealth, the city's direct trade with the Caribbean, that accounted for the other 95%, concerns the colonial stuffs made by the slave (sugar, coffee, cocoa). And thirdly, in that same period, a major migratory movement by Aquitanians took place to the Caribbean colonies, with
Saint-Domingue Saint-Domingue () was a French colonization of the Americas, French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1803. The name derives from the Spanish main city on the isl ...
(now
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
) being the most popular destination. 40% of the white population of the island came from Aquitaine. They prospered with Plantation economy, plantations incomes, until the Haitian Revolution, first slave revolts which concluded in 1848 in the final abolition of slavery in France. A statue of Modeste Testas, an Ethiopian woman who was enslaved by the Bordeaux-based Testas brothers was unveiled in 2019. She was trafficked by them from West Africa, to Philadelphia (where one of the brothers coerced her to have two children by him) and was ultimately freed and lived in Haiti. The bronze sculpture was created by the Haitian artists Woodly Caymitte. A number of traces and memorial sites are visible in the city. Moreover, in May 2009, the Museum of Aquitaine opened the spaces dedicated to "Bordeaux in the 18th century, trans-Atlantic trading and slavery". This work, richly illustrated with original documents, contributes to disseminate the state of knowledge on this question, presenting above all the facts and their chronology. The region of Bordeaux was also the land of several prominent abolitionism, abolitionists, as Montesquieu, Andr茅-Daniel Laffon de Ladebat, Laffon de Lad茅bat and Elis茅e Reclus. Others were members of the Society of the Friends of the Blacks as the revolutionaries Jean-Baptiste Boyer-Fonfr猫de, Boyer-Fonfr猫de, Armand Gensonn茅, Gensonn茅, Marguerite-脡lie Guadet, Guadet and Jean-Fran莽ois Ducos, Ducos. File:Bordeaux place de la Bourse mascaron visage africain.JPG, African face Mascaron (architecture), mascaron on the place de la Bourse File:D茅tail de la fresque du Grand-Th茅芒tre de Bordeaux.jpg, Allegory of Bordeaux and her wealth, including two African slaves, ceiling of the Grand Th茅芒tre de Bordeaux, Grand-Th茅芒tre de Bordeaux File:Salles consacr茅es 脿 l'esclavage au Mus茅e d'Aquitaine, Bordeaux.jpg, Spaces dedicated to slave trade, Mus茅e d'Aquitaine File:Statue-f茅tiche Fon-Mus茅e d'Aquitaine (1).jpg, Fon people, Fon fetish, Mus茅e d'Aquitaine File:Buste en bronze de Toussaint Louverture, Bordeaux.jpg, Bronze bust of Toussaint Louverture File:Statue de Modeste Testas, quai des Chartrons, Bordeaux.jpg, Bronze Statue of Modeste Testas, Ethiopian woman enslaved by two Bordeaux plantation owners


Parks and gardens

* Jardin public de Bordeaux, which contains the Jardin botanique de Bordeaux * Jardin botanique de la Bastide * Parc bordelais * Parc aux Ang茅liques * Jardin des Lumi猫res * Parc Rivi猫re * Parc Floral File:Bordeaux Jardin Public R02.jpg, Jardin public File:Jardin botanique de Bordeaux 7.jpg, Jardin botanique de la Bastide, Jardin botanique File:Bordeaux Quai Louis XVIII R01.jpg, Jardin des Lumi猫res File:Parc floral de Bordeaux 3298.jpg, Parc floral, Casablanca pavilion


Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas

Europe's longest-span vertical-lift bridge, the Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas, was opened in 2013 in Bordeaux, spanning the River Garonne. The central lift span is , weighs 4,600 tons and can be lifted vertically up to to let tall ships pass underneath. The 鈧160 million bridge was inaugurated by President Fran莽ois Hollande and Mayor Alain Jupp茅 on 16 March 2013. The bridge was named after the late Jacques Chaban-Delmas, who was a former Prime Minister and Mayor (France), Mayor of Bordeaux.


Shopping

Bordeaux has many shopping options. In the heart of Bordeaux is Sainte-Catherine Street (Bordeaux), Rue Sainte-Catherine. This pedestrianised street has of shops, restaurants and caf茅s; it is also one of the longest shopping streets in Europe. Rue Sainte-Catherine starts at Place de la Victoire and ends at Place de la Com茅die by the Grand Th茅芒tre. The shops become progressively more upmarket as one moves towards Place de la Com茅die and the nearby Cours de l'Intendance is where there are the more exclusive shops and boutiques.


Culture

Bordeaux is the first city in France to have created, in the 1980s, an architecture exhibition and research centre, ''Arc en r锚ve''. The city has a large number of cinemas, theatres, and is the home of the Grand Th茅芒tre de Bordeaux, Op茅ra national de Bordeaux. There are many music venues of varying capacity. The city also offers several festivals throughout the year. The Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema (Festival international du cin茅ma au f茅minin de Bordeaux) took place in Bordeaux from 2002 until 2005. The Festival international du film ind茅pendant de Bordeaux (Fifib or FIFIB), or Bordeaux International Independent Film Festival, was established in 2012. File:GrandTheatreBordeaux2.jpg, ''Grand Th茅芒tre de Bordeaux'' File:Bordeaux - Th茅芒tre Femina.jpg, ''Th茅芒tre Femina'' File:RB 20200222 Bordeaux-11.jpg, ''MECA, Maison de l'脡conomie Cr茅ative et de la Culture en Aquitaine''


Transport


Road

Bordeaux is an important road and Interchange (road), motorway junction. The city is connected to Paris by the A10 autoroute (France), A10 motorway, with Lyon by the A89 autoroute, A89, with Toulouse by the A62 autoroute, A62, and with Spain by the A63 autoroute, A63. There is a Beltway, ring road called the "Rocade de Bordeaux, Rocade" which is often very busy. Another ring road is under consideration. Bordeaux has five road bridges that cross the
Garonne The Garonne ( , ; Catalan language, Catalan, Basque language, Basque and , ; or ) is a river that flows in southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux 鈥 ...
, the Pont de pierre built in the 1820s and three modern bridges built after 1960: the Pont Saint Jean, just south of the Pont de pierre (both located downtown), the Pont d'Aquitaine, a suspension bridge downstream from downtown, and the Pont Fran莽ois Mitterrand, located upstream of downtown. These two bridges are part of the ring-road around Bordeaux. A fifth bridge, the Pont Jacques-Chaban-Delmas, was constructed in 2009鈥2012 and opened to traffic in March 2013. Located halfway between the Pont de pierre and the Pont d'Aquitaine and serving downtown rather than highway traffic, it is a vertical-lift bridge with a height in closed position comparable to that of Pont de pierre, and to the Pont d'Aquitaine when open. All five road bridges, including the two highway bridges, are open to cyclists and pedestrians as well. Another bridge, the Pont Jean-Jacques Bosc, is to be built in 2018. Lacking any steep hills, Bordeaux is relatively friendly to cyclists. Cycle paths (separate from the roadways) exist on the highway bridges, along the riverfront, on the university campuses, and incidentally elsewhere in the city. Bike lane, Cycle lanes and bus lanes that explicitly allow cyclists exist on many of the city's boulevards. A paid bicycle-sharing system with automated stations was established in 2010.


Rail

The main railway station, Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean, near the center of the city, has 12 million passengers a year. It is served by the French national (SNCF) railway's high speed train, the TGV, that gets to Paris in two hours, with connections to major European centers such as
Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the De没le river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Geneva and London. The TGV also serves
Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
and Irun (Spain) from Bordeaux. A regular train service is provided to Nantes, Nice,
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rh么ne and of the Provence-Alpes-C么te d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
and
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Proven莽al: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rh么ne and Sa么ne, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
. The Gare Saint-Jean is the major hub for regional trains (Transport express r茅gional, TER) operated by the SNCF to Arcachon, Limoges, Agen, P茅rigueux, Langon, Gironde, Langon, Pau, Pyr茅n茅es-Atlantiques, Pau, Le M茅doc, Angoul锚me and Bayonne. Historically the train line used to terminate at a station on the right bank of the river Garonne near the Pont de Pierre, and passengers crossed the bridge to get into the city. Subsequently, a double-track steel railway bridge was constructed in the 1850s, by Gustave Eiffel, to bring trains across the river direct into Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean. The old station was later converted and in 2010 comprised a cinema and restaurants. The two-track Eiffel bridge with a speed limit of became a bottleneck and a new bridge was built, opening in 2009. The new bridge has four tracks and allows trains to pass at . During the planning there was much lobbying by the Eiffel family and other supporters to preserve the old bridge as a footbridge across the Garonne, with possibly a museum to document the history of the bridge and Gustave Eiffel's contribution. The decision was taken to save the bridge, but by early 2010 no plans had been announced as to its future use. The bridge remains intact, but unused and without any means of access. The LGV Sud Europe Atlantique became fully operational in July 2017, shortening the journey time from Bordeaux city to Paris to 2hrs 4mins.


Air

Bordeaux is served by Bordeaux鈥揗茅rignac Airport, located from the city centre in the suburban city of M茅rignac, Gironde, M茅rignac.


Trams, buses and boats

Bordeaux has an important public transport system called Transports Bordeaux M茅tropole (TBM). This company is run by the Keolis group. The network consists of: * Four Tramway de Bordeaux, tram lines (Bordeaux Tramway Line A, A, Bordeaux Tramway Line B, B, Bordeaux Tramway Line C, C and Bordeaux Tramway Line D, D) * 75 Bus lines in Bordeaux, bus routes, all connected to the tramway network (from 1 to 96) * 13 night bus routes (from 1 to 16) * An Trolleybus, electric bus shuttle in the city centre * A boat shuttle on the Garonne river This network is operated from 5 am to 2 am. There had been several plans for a subway network to be set up, but they stalled for both geological and financial reasons. Work on the Tramway de Bordeaux system was started in the autumn of 2000, and services started in December 2003 connecting Bordeaux with its suburban areas. The tram system uses Alstom APS a form of ground-level power supply technology developed by French company Alstom and designed to preserve the aesthetic environment by eliminating overhead cables in the historic city. Conventional overhead cables are used outside the city. The system was controversial for its considerable cost of installation, maintenance and also for the numerous initial technical problems that paralysed the network. Many streets and squares along the tramway route became pedestrian areas, with Limited-access road, limited access for cars. The Bordeaux Tramway system reached the M茅rignac airport on April 29th 2023 with the opening of a 5-km extension of Line A.


Taxis

There are more than 400 taxicabs in Bordeaux.


Public transportation statistics

The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Bordeaux, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 51 min. 12.% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 13 min, while 15.5% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is , while 8% travel for over in a single direction.


Sport

The 41,458-capacity Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux is the largest stadium in Bordeaux. The stadium was opened in 2015 and replaced the Stade Chaban-Delmas, which was a venue for the FIFA World Cup in 1938 and 1998, as well as the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In the 1938 FIFA World Cup, it hosted a violent quarter-final known as the Battle of Bordeaux (football), Battle of Bordeaux. The ground was formerly known as the ''Stade du Parc Lescure'' until 2001, when it was renamed in honour of the city's long-time mayor, Jacques Chaban-Delmas. There are two major sport teams in Bordeaux, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Girondins de Bordeaux is the association football, football team who, following administrative relegation, currently play in Championnat National 2, the fourth tier of French football league system, French football. They are one of the most successful clubs in France, with six Ligue 1, Division 1/Ligue 1 titles. Union Bordeaux B猫gles is a rugby union, rugby team in the Top 14 in the National Rugby League (France), Ligue Nationale de Rugby. Skateboarding, rollerblading, and BMX biking are activities enjoyed by many young inhabitants of the city. Bordeaux is home to a quay which runs along the Garonne river. On the quay there is a skate-park divided into three sections. One section is for Vert tricks, one for street style tricks, and one for little action sports athletes with easier features and softer materials. The skate-park is very well maintained by the municipality. Other sports clubs include top flight ice hockey team Boxers de Bordeaux and third-tier basketball team JSA Bordeaux Basket Bordeaux is also the home to one of the strongest cricket teams in France and are champions of the South West League. There is a wooden velodrome, V茅lodrome du Lac, in Bordeaux which hosts international cycling competition in the form of UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics, UCI Track Cycling World Cup events. The 2015 Trophee Eric Bompard was in Bordeaux. But the Free Skate was cancelled in all of the divisions due to the Paris and aftermath. The Short Program occurred hours before the bombing. French skaters Chafik Besseghier (68.36) in tenth place, Romain Ponsart (62.86) in 11th. Mae-Berenice-Meite (46.82) in 11th and Laurine Lecavelier (46.53) in 12th. Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres (65.75) in second. Between 1951 and 1955, an annual Formula 1 motor race was held on a 2.5-kilometre circuit which looped around the Esplanade des Quinconces and along the waterfront, attracting drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Jean Behra and Maurice Trintignant.


Notable people

File:Ausonius.jpg, Ausonius File:Anthony Frederick Sandys - Queen Eleanor.JPG, Eleanor of Aquitaine File:Richard II King of England.jpg, Richard II of England File:Montaigne-Dumonstier.jpg, Michel de Montaigne File:Joanna de Chantal.jpg, Jeanne de Lestonnac, Sainte Jeanne de Lestonnac File:Charles Montesquieu.jpg, Montesquieu File:Rosa Bonheur, 1865, wearing the Legion of Honour.jpg, Rosa Bonheur File:095 Odilon Redon Mon portrait.jpg, Odilon Redon File:Self-Portrait Albert Marquet (1904).jpg, Albert Marquet * Ausonius (310鈥395), Roman poet and teacher of rhetoric * Jean Alaux (1786鈥1864), painter * Bertrand Andrieu (1761鈥1822), engraver * Jean Anouilh (1910鈥1987), dramatist * Lucien Arman (1811鈥1873), shipbuilder and politician * Yvonne Arnaud (1892鈥1958), pianist, singer and actress * Xavier Arnozan (1852鈥1928), physician * Floyd Ayit茅 (born 1988), Togolese footballer * Jonathan Ayit茅 (born 1985), Togolese footballer * Jean-Baptiste Barri猫re (1707鈥1747), cellist, composer * G茅rard Bayo (born 1936), writer and poet * Jean Bertheroy (1858-1927), writer * Fran莽ois Bigot (1703鈥1778), last "Intendant" of New France * Arnaud Binard (born 1971), actor and producer * Rosa Bonheur (1822鈥1899), animal painter and sculptor * Gr茅gory Bourdy (born 1982), golfer * Samuel Boutal (born 1969), footballer * Alice Caffarel (born 1961), linguist * Edmond de Caillou (died c. February 1316) Gascon knight fighting in Scotland * G茅rald Causs茅, Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints * Leopold Chasseriau (1825鈥1891), planter * Ren茅 Cl茅ment (1913鈥1996), actor, director, writer * Jean-Ren茅 Cruchet (1875鈥1959), pathologist * Jos茅 Cubero S谩nchez (1964鈥1985), Spanish bullfighter * Boris Cyrulnik (born 1937), psychiatrist and psychoanalyst * Marie-Louise Damien, Damia (1899鈥1978), singer and actress * 脡tienne No毛l Damilaville (1723鈥1768), Encyclop茅distes, encyclop茅diste * Lili Damita (1901鈥1994), actress * Fr茅d茅ric Daquin, (born 1978), footballer * Danielle Darrieux (1917鈥2017), actress * Bernard Delvaille (1931鈥2006), poet, essayist * David Diop (1927鈥1960), poet * Jean-Francois Domergue, footballer * Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122鈥1204), duchess of Aquitaine, queen of France and queen of England * Jacques Ellul (1912鈥1994), sociologist, theologian, Christian anarchist * Jean Eustache (1938鈥1981), French New Wave, Nouvelle Vague director * Marie Fel (1713鈥1794), opera singer * Jean-Luc Fournet (1965), papyrologist * Pierre-Jean Garat (1762鈥1823), singer * Armand Gensonn茅 (1758鈥1793), politician * S茅bastien Gervais (born 1976), professional footballer * Stephen Girard (1750鈥1831), merchant, banker, and Philadelphia philanthropist * J茅r么me Gnako (born 1968), footballer * Randolphe Gohi (born 1969), former professional footballer * Eug猫ne Goossens, fils, Eug猫ne Goossens (1867鈥1958), conductor, violinist * Anna Hamilton (1864鈥1935), doctor, superintendent of the Protestant Hospital at Bordeaux (1901鈥1934) * Adolphe Jacquies (c.鈥1798鈥1860), Canadian shopkeeper, printer, trade unionist, and newspaper publisher * Joseph Kabris (1780-1822), sailor known for his tattoos * Pierre Lacour (1745鈥1814), painter * L茅opold Lafleurance (1865鈥1953), flautist * Joseph Henri Joachim Lain茅 (1767鈥1835), statesman * Jeanne de Lestonnac, Sainte Jeanne de Lestonnac (1556鈥1640), Roman Catholic saint and foundress of the Sisters of the Company of Mary, Our Lady * Christophe Lestrade (born 1969), former professional footballer * Andr茅 Lhote (1885鈥1962), cubist painter * Jeanne Henriette Louis, (1938), professor of North American civilization * Jean-Baptiste Lynch (1749鈥1835), politician * Lucenzo (born 1983), singer * Jean-Jacques Magendie (1766鈥1835), officer * Fran莽ois Magendie (1783鈥1855), physiologist * Bruno Marie-Rose (born 1965), athlete (sprinter) * Albert Marquet, (1875鈥1947), painter * Fran莽ois Mauriac (1885鈥1970), writer, Nobel laureate 1952 * Benjamin Millepied (born 1977), dancer and choreographer * 脡douard Molinaro (1928鈥2013), film director, screenwriter * Pierre Molinier (1900鈥1976), painter, photographer * Michel de Montaigne (1533鈥1592), essayist * Montesquieu (1689鈥1755), man of letters and political philosopher * Olivier Mony (1966鈥), writer and literary critic * 脡tienne Marie Antoine Champion de Nansouty (1768鈥1815), general * Elie Okobo, basketball player * Pierre Palmade (born 1968), actor and comedian * Paulinus of Nola, St. Paulinus of Nola (354鈥431), educator, religious figure * 脡mile P茅reire (1800鈥1875), banker and industrialist * Sophie P茅tronin (born 1945), aid worker and humanitarian * Albert Pitres (1848鈥1928), neurologist * Hippolyte Pradelles (1824鈥1913), naturalist painter * Georges Rayet, Georges Antoine Pons Rayet (1839鈥1906), astronomer, discoverer of the Wolf-Rayet stars, & founder of the Bordeaux Observatory * Odilon Redon (1840鈥1916), painter * Richard II of England (1367鈥1400), king * Pierre Rode (1774鈥1830), violinist * Olinde Rodrigues (1795鈥1851), mathematician, banker and social reformer * Marie-Sabine Roger (born 1957), writer * Eugenie Santa Coloma Sourget (1827鈥1895), composer, pianist and singer * Bernard Sarrette (1765鈥1858), conductor and music pedagogue * Jean-Jacques Semp茅 (1932鈥2022), cartoonist * Florent Serra (born 1981), tennis player * Alfred Smith (artist), Alfred Smith, (1854鈥1932), painter * Soko (singer), Soko (born 1985), singer * Philippe Sollers, (born 1936), writer * Wilfried Tekovi, (born 1989), Togolese footballer * Elie Vinet (1509鈥1587), historian and humanist of the Renaissance * Adam Siao Him Fa, (born 2001), professional figure skater * Claude Dagens, (born 1940), prelate


International relationships


Twin towns 鈥 sister cities

Bordeaux is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with: * Ashdod, Israel, since 1984 * Bilbao, Spain * Baku, Azerbaijan, since 1985 * Bristol, United Kingdom, since 1947 * Casablanca, Morocco, since 1988 * Fukuoka, Japan, since 1982 * Krak贸w, Poland, since 1993 * Lima, Peru, since 1957 * Los Angeles, California United States, since 1968 * Madrid, Spain, since 1984 * Munich, Germany, since 1964 * Oran, Algeria, since 2003 * Porto, Portugal, since 1978 * Quebec City, Quebec Canada, since 1962 * Ramallah, Palestine * Riga, Latvia * Saint Petersburg, Russia, since 1993 * Wuhan, China, since 1998


Partnerships

* Samsun, Turkey, since 2010


See also

* Atlantic history * Bordeaux wine regions * Bordeaux鈥揚aris, a formerly professional road bicycle racing annual event * The Burdigalian Age of the Miocene Epoch is named for Bordeaux * Canel茅, a local pastry * Communes of the Gironde department * Dogue de Bordeaux, a Dog breed, breed of dog originally bred for dog fighting * French wine * Girondins * History of slavery * List of mayors of Bordeaux * Operation Frankton, a British Combined Operations Headquarters, Combined Operations raid on shipping in the harbour at Bordeaux, in December 1942, during World War II * Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bordeaux


Explanatory notes


References


Further reading

* *


External links


Bordeaux: the world capital of wine
鈥 Official French website (in English) * {{Authority control Bordeaux, Burdigalian, Cities in France Cities in Nouvelle-Aquitaine Communes of Gironde Gallia Aquitania Gironde Guyenne Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast Prefectures in France World Heritage Sites in France