Périgueux (/ˌpɛrɪˈɡɜː/, French: [peʁiɡø] ^ⓘ; Occitan: Peireguers [pejɾeˈɣɥes; pejɾeˈɡœː] or Periguers [peɾiˈɣɥes; peɾiˈɡœː])^{[lower-alpha 1]} is a commune in the Dordogne department, in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France.

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Quick Facts Peireguers / Periguers (Occitan), Country ...

Périgueux Peireguers / Periguers (Occitan)
Prefecture and commune
Top: Panorama view of Saint-Front Cathedral in Trélissac Hills, Middle left: Statue of Thomas-Robert Bugeaud in Bugeaud Square, Middle right: Barbadeau Castle (Le château de Barbadeau), Bottom left: Isle River and Saint Georges Bridge (Pont Saint Georges), Bottom right: The tower of Vésone (La tour de Vésone)
Coat of arms
Location of Périgueux
Périgueux Show map of France Périgueux Show map of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Coordinates: 45°11′34″N 0°43′18″E
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Dordogne
Arrondissement	Périgueux
Canton	Périgueux-1 and 2
Intercommunality	Le Grand Périgueux
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Delphine Labails[1]
Area 1	9.82 km2 (3.79 sq mi)
• Urban	154.4 km2 (59.6 sq mi)
• Metro	1,061 km2 (410 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	29,516
• Density	3,000/km2 (7,800/sq mi)
• Urban  (2018[3])	65,341
• Urban density	420/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
• Metro  (2018[3])	113,384
• Metro density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	24322 /24000
Elevation	75–189 m (246–620 ft) (avg. 101 m or 331 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

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Périgueux is the prefecture of Dordogne, and the capital city of Périgord. It is also the seat of a Roman Catholic diocese.

This section does not cite any sources. (April 2024)

The name Périgueux comes from Petrocorii, a Latinization of Celtic words meaning "the four tribes" – the Gallic people that held the area before the Roman conquest. Périgueux was their capital city. In 200 BC, the Petrocorii came from the north and settled at Périgueux and established an encampment at La Boissière. After the Roman invasion, they left this post and established themselves on the plain of L'Isle, and the town of Vesunna was created. This Roman city was eventually embellished with amenities such as temples, baths, amphitheatres, and a forum. At the end of the third century AD, the Roman city was surrounded by ramparts, and the town took the name of Civitas Petrocoriorum.

In the 10th century, Le Puy-Saint-Front was constructed around an abbey next to the old Gallo-Roman city. It was organised into a municipality around 1182.

During the year 1940, many Jews from Alsace and Alsatians were evacuated to Périgueux.

Simone Mareuil (a lead actress from the surrealist film Un Chien Andalou) committed self-immolation on 24 October 1954 by dousing herself in gasoline and burning herself to death in a public square in Périgueux.

The Isle river flows through Périgueux.

In 2018, 30,060 people lived in the town, while its metropolitan area had a population of 113,384.^[3]

More information Year, Pop. ...

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 9,898 —     1800 5,733 −7.50% 1806 6,306 +1.60% 1821 8,452 +1.97% 1831 8,956 +0.58% 1836 11,576 +5.27% 1841 12,187 +1.03% 1846 11,455 −1.23% 1851 13,547 +3.41% 1856 16,291 +3.76% 1861 19,140 +3.28% 1866 19,633 +0.51% 1872 19,956 +0.27% 1876 24,169 +4.91% 1881 25,969 +1.45% 1886 29,611 +2.66% 1891 31,439 +1.21% 1896 31,313 −0.08%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 31,976 +0.42% 1906 31,361 −0.39% 1911 33,548 +1.36% 1921 33,144 −0.12% 1926 33,389 +0.15% 1931 33,988 +0.36% 1936 37,615 +2.05% 1946 40,865 +0.83% 1954 40,785 −0.02% 1962 38,529 −0.71% 1968 37,450 −0.47% 1975 35,120 −0.91% 1982 32,916 −0.92% 1990 30,280 −1.04% 1999 30,193 −0.03% 2007 29,416 −0.33% 2012 29,906 +0.33% 2017 29,966 +0.04%
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968–2017)[5]

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Sights include: the remains of a Roman amphitheatre (known locally as the arènes romaines) the centre of which has been turned into a green park with a water fountain; the remains of a temple of the Gallic goddess "Vesunna"; and a luxurious Roman villa, called the "Domus of Vesunna", built around a garden courtyard surrounded by a colonnaded peristyle now housed in the Vesunna Gallo-Roman Museum.

Périgueux railway station offers connections to Limoges, Bordeaux, Brive-la-Gaillarde, and other regional destinations. The trains are operated by train company SNCF.

Périgueux has an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) with warm to hot summers combined with cool to mild winters. Périgueux has a mild climate for its latitude and inland position due to the significant Gulf Stream influence on the Bay of Biscay to its west. The resulting maritime air warms winters up, while at the same time it is far enough inland to cause warm summers on average.

Périgueux was the birthplace of:

• Pierre Daumesnil (1776–1832), general of the First Empire.
• Georges Bégué (1911–1993), engineer and agent in the Special Operations Executive
• Francine Benoît (1894–1990), composer, music critic and teacher, who gained Portuguese citizenship in 1929.
• William Joseph Chaminade (1761–1850), founder of the Society of Mary (Marianists) and the Daughters of Mary Immaculate
• Patrick Ollier (1944–), politician, President of the National Assembly in 2007.
• Jean Clédat (1871–1943), Egyptologist, archaeologist, and philologist.
• Ketty Kerviel (1916–2009), film actress
• Nicole Duclos (1947–), athlete.
• Rachilde (1860–1953), writer associated with the Decadent and Symbolist movements.
• Julien Dupuy (1983–), rugby union player.
• René Thomas (1886–1975), racing driver, winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1914.

Périgueux is twinned with:^[8]

• Amberg, Germany^[8]

• Communes of the Dordogne department
• Périgord
• Coderc Plaza
• History of Périgueux
• Plumancy Square
• Carnaval de Périgueux