Commune of Perpignan Coat of Arms View of Perpignan
Location
Coordinates	42°41′55″N, 2°53′44″E
Administration
Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon
Department	Pyrénées-Orientales (66) (préfecture)
Arrondissement	Perpignan
Canton	Chief town of 9 cantons
Intercommunality	Têt Méditerranée
Mayor	Jean-Paul Alduy (2001-2008)
Statistics
Elevation	8 m–95 m (avg. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, Languedoc-Roussillon ( Occitan: Lengadòc-Rosselhon; Catalan: Llenguadoc-Rosselló) is one of the 26 regions of France. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees Pirineus Orientals Pirenèus Orientals is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier A prefecture ( préfecture) in France can refer to: the Chef-lieu de département, the town in which the administration of a ''département'' The 100 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The arrondissement of Perpignan is an arrondissement of France located in the Pyrénées-Orientales département ( Northern Catalonia The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 341 arrondissements and 100 departments. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. 30 m)
Land area¹	68,07 km²
Population² (2004)	116,700
- Density	1,715/km² (2004)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	66136/ 66000
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0. As of January 1, 2008, 64473140 people live in the French Republic. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume The INSEE code is a numerical indexing code used by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE to identify various entities including communes Postal codes were introduced in France in 1972, when La Poste introduced automated sorting. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. C D E

Perpignan (French: Perpignan, pronounced [pɛʀpiɲɑ̃]; Catalan Perpinyà, [pəɾpiˈɲa]) is a commune and the préfecture (administrative capital city) of the Pyrénées-Orientales département in southern France. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. A prefecture ( préfecture) in France can refer to: the Chef-lieu de département, the town in which the administration of a ''département'' Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees Pirineus Orientals Pirenèus Orientals is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Perpignan was the capital of the former province and county of Roussillon (Rosselló in Catalan). The Kingdom of France was organised into Provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. Roussillon ( French: Roussillon, ʀusiˈjɔ̃ Catalan: Rosselló, pronounced; Spanish: Rosellón, pronounced) is

Population (2004) : 116,700 (Perpignanais) in the city proper. The metropolitan area had a total population of 249,016 in 1999 and more than 300,000 inhabitants today. The aire urbaine is an INSEE (the national statistics office of France statistical region comprising a Couronne périurbaine commuter belt around a contiguous

History

Though settlement in the area goes back to Roman times, the medieval town of Perpignan seems to have been founded around the beginning of the 10th century (first mentioned in a document as villa Perpiniarum in 927). The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Events Asia The Chu State is founded by Ma Yin. Korea: Hubaekje sacks the Silla capital of Soon Perpignan became the capital of the counts of Roussillon. Roussillon ( French: Roussillon, ʀusiˈjɔ̃ Catalan: Rosselló, pronounced; Spanish: Rosellón, pronounced) is In 1172 Count Girard II bequeathed his lands to the Counts of Barcelona. Gerard II ( Girard in French and Catalan Gerardo in Spanish was the last de facto independent Count of Roussillon from 1164 to his death in The Count of Barcelona was the major ruler in Catalonia from the 9th until the 17th century Perpignan acquired the institutions of a partly self-governing commune in 1197. Communes in Europe in the Middle Ages were sworn allegiances of mutual defense (both physical defense and of traditional freedoms among community members of a town or city French feudal rights over Roussillon were given up by Louis IX in the Treaty of Corbeil (1258). Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed The Treaty of Corbeil was an agreement signed on May 11, 1258, in Corbeil (today Corbeil-Essonnes, in the region of Île-de-France

Location within the Pyrénées-Orientales département

When James I, the Conqueror, king of Aragon and count of Barcelona, erected the Kingdom of Majorca in 1276, Perpignan became the capital of the mainland territories of the new state. Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees Pirineus Orientals Pirenèus Orientals is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division James I the Conqueror ( Catalan: Jaume el Conqueridor, Aragonese: Chaime lo Conqueridor, Spanish: Jaime el Conquistador The Kingdom of Aragon was an old kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon ( The Count of Barcelona was the major ruler in Catalonia from the 9th until the 17th century The Kingdom of Majorca was founded by James I of Aragon, also known as James The Conqueror. The succeeding decades are considered the golden age in the history of the city. It prospered as a centre of cloth manufacture, leather work, goldsmiths' work, and other luxury crafts. King Philip III of France died there in 1285, as he was returning from his unsuccessful crusade against the Aragonese Crown. Philip the Bold Philip III ( 30 April 1245 &ndash 5 October 1285) called the Bold ( French: le Hardi) was The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon.

In 1344 Peter IV of Aragon annexed the Kingdom of Majorca and Perpignan once more became part of the County of Barcelona. Peter IV (also known as Pedro or Pere 5 September 1319, Balaguer – 5 January 1387) called the Ceremonious ( el Ceremonioso A few years later it lost approximatively half of its population owing to the Black Death. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia It was attacked and occupied by Louis XI of France in 1463; a violent uprising against French rule in 1473 was harshly put down after a long siege, but in 1493 Charles VIII of France, wishing to conciliate Spain in order to free himself to invade Italy, restored it to Ferdinand II of Aragon. Louis XI ( July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483) called the Prudent (le Prudent and the Universal Spider ( Middle Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Ferdinand II of Aragon the Catholic (Fernando II de Aragón y V de Castilla "el Católico" Ferran II d'Aragó "el Catòlic" Ferrando II d'Aragón

Again besieged and captured by the French during the Thirty Years' War in September 1642, Perpignan was formally ceded by Spain 17 years later in the Treaty of the Pyrenees, and began then to form part of the Kingdom of France. For the Mauritanian Thirty Years' War see Char Bouba war. For the band see The 30 Years War. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed in 1659 to end the war between France and Spain that had begun in 1635 during the Thirty Years' War.

Main sights

The cathedral of St. John the Baptist was begun in 1324 and finished in 1509. Perpignan Cathedral ( Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Perpignan) is a Roman Catholic cathedral and a national monument of France, located in the town ^[1]

The 13th century palace of the kings of Majorca sits on the high citadel, surrounded by ramparts, reinforced for Louis XI and Charles V, which were updated in the 17th century by Louis XIV's military engineer Vauban. The Palace of the Kings of Majorca is a building in the city of Perpignan in south west France. Louis XI ( July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483) called the Prudent (le Prudent and the Universal Spider ( Middle Charles V ( 21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380) called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death and a member Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Sébastien Le Prestre Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban ( May 15, 1633 – March 30, 1707) commonly referred to

The walls surrounding the town, which had been designed by Vauban, were razed in 1904 to accommodate urban development.

Economy

Traditional commerce was in wine and olive oil, corks (the cork oak Quercus suber grows in Perpignan's mild climate), wool and leather, and iron. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive ( Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with Lilacs Jasmine and ash trees The Cork Oak ( Quercus suber) is a medium-sized Evergreen Oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect In May 1907 it was a seat of agitation by southern producers for government enforcement of wine quality following a collapse in prices. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice

Sport

Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup, and their rugby league side plays in the Super League under the name Catalans Dragons. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais ( French) or Unió Esportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà ( Catalan) generally abbreviated as USAP in The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games The Catalans Dragons (sometimes referred to as Les Catalans or the Dragons) are a professional Rugby league Club based in Perpignan

Miscellaneous

The famous "Sanch Procession" folklore, once forbidden, is still celebrated in Perpignan, Arles-sur-Tech and Collioure. The Procession de la Sanch is an annual ceremony in several towns in France. Arles-sur-Tech is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southwestern France. Collioure ( French: Collioure, kɔˈljuʀ Catalan: Cotlliure) is a seaside Mediterranean town and commune a few kilometers

Perpignan has a close connection with the sculptor Aristide Maillol, who attended school there. Aristide Maillol ( December 8 1861 &ndash September 27 1944) was a French Catalan sculptor and painter

Following a visit in 1963, the Catalan (Spain) surrealist artist Salvador Dalí declared the city's railway station the centre of the Universe, saying that he always got his best ideas sitting in the waiting room. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11 1904 &ndash January 23 1989 was a Spanish Catalan Surrealist |}A train station, railway station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which Passengers may board and alight from Trains The Universe is defined as everything that Physically Exists: the entirety of Space and Time, all forms of Matter, Energy He followed that up some years later by declaring that the Iberian Peninsula rotated precisely at Perpignan station 132 million years ago - an event the artist invoked in his 1983 painting Topological Abduction of Europe - Homage to Rene Thom. René Thom ( September 2, 1923 – October 25, 2002) was a French Mathematician. ^[2] Above the station is a monument in Dali's honour, and across the surface of one of the main platforms is painted, in big letters, « perpignan centre du monde » (French for "perpignan centre of the world"). ^[3]

In 2008, Perpignan becomes Capital of Catalan Culture. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[4]

Notable people born in Perpignan

• Louise Labé (1524 - 1566), a female Lyon poet of the Renaissance which at the siege of Perpignan, or in a tournament there, is said to have dressed in male clothing and fought on horseback in the ranks of the Dauphin, afterwards Henry II
• Hyacinthe Rigaud (1659-1743), who painted the definitive portraits of Louis XIV
• François Arago (1786-1853), the physicist, astronomer and liberal politician, who secured the abolition of slavery in the French colonies in 1853, was born in the nearby village of Estagel (Estagell) and is memorialized in the eponymous Place Arago that bears his statue in the centre of the town. Louise Labé, (c 1520 or 1522 Lyon - April 25, 1566, Parcieux-en-Dombes) also identified as La Belle Cordière, was a female The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Hyacinthe Rigaud ( Hiacint Riagau) ( July 20, 1659 – December 27, 1743) was a French painter of Catalan origin Year 1743 ( MDCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a François Jean Dominique Arago ( Francesc Joan Dominic Aragó; 26 February 1786 2 October 1853 was a French Catalan Mathematician, Year 1786 ( MDCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world Estagel is a town and commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales département, in southwestern France.
• Robert Brasillach (1909-1945), pro-Nazi author in Vichy France and rugby union supporter who supported the ban on rugby league. Robert Brasillach ( 31 March 1909 &ndash 6 February 1945) was a French author and journalist who was executed for advocating Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games
• Frédérick Bousquet (born 1981), French freestyle and butterfly swimmer who competed at two consecutive Summer Olympics (2000 and 2004)
• Sandrine Erdely-Sayo (born 1968) pianist - Youngest recipient of the French Minister of Culture Prize at 13 years old. Frédérick Bousquet (born August 4, 1981 in Perpignan) is a freestyle and butterfly Swimmer from France. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Sandrine Erdely-Sayo, born October 11, 1968, in Perpignan, France, is a Jewish French - American pianist She lives in Philadelphia where she became National Interest for the United States

Sister cities

• Sister cities:
  • Hanover, Germany, from 1960
  • Lancaster, United Kingdom, from 1962
  • Lake Charles, United States, from 1993
  • Sarasota, United States, from 1994 (http://www.sarasotasistercities.org/Perpignan.html)
  • Tyre, Lebanon, from 1997

• Partner towns:
  • Girona, Spain, from 1988
  • Barcelona, Spain, from 1994
  • Figueres, Spain, from 1996
  • Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Israel, from 1998
  • Tavira, Portugal, from 2001

Perpignan train station

References

* Alícia Marcet, Histoire de Perpignan, la fidelíssima (1995).

External links

• City council website (French) (Catalan)
• Perpignan Tourist Office
• Perpignan Museums