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Fortitudo mea civium fides |
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 Founded
over two thousand years ago, Périgueux, préfecture or capital city of the
Dordogne, is a gracious blend of ancient and modern.
The history of the city of Périgueux began when four Celtic tribes merged to
become the Petrucores. They settled on the hills overlooking the river (l’Isle)
until they were overpowered by the Romans.
The Gallo‑Roman remains show how magnificent the town would have been in the 1st
and 2nd centuries, the Romans having built in the valley Vesunna, an imposing
city (between 15 and 20000 inhabitants), which, in the 3rd century, was enclosed
by a defensive surrounding wall.
In the 4th century, Vesunna which was but a small town was named after its
people “Civitas Petrocoriorum”. The town was no longer prosperous during the
Dark Ages. In the 9th century, it withstood the attacks of the Normans several
times thanks to its thick defensive surrounding wall.
From the 10th century on, the birth of another town gave new impetus to the
valley. As a matter of fact, a chapel and a monastery were built outside the
walls were the tomb of the apostle of the Périgord, whose name was Saint-Front,
had been erected and which attracted a lot of pilgrims.
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Merchants, artisans who wanted to get rich traded with
the clerics and travellers and settled down nearby. This population gave
birth to the “Bourg du Puy Saint-Front”. In the 13th century, the new town
expanded and was surrounded by a wall in a U-shape, a 1.6 km long with 28
towers and 12 gates.
In 1240, in the reign of Saint-Louis, the City and the “Bourg” met and
formed one city called Périgueux. For centuries, Périgueux, protected by its
defensive wall, remained unchanged. But from the 18th century on, the city
began developing. Beyond the wall a modern city appeared and in 1790 it
became the “préfecture” of the “département de la Dordogne”.
In the 19th century, the number of inhabitants increased a lot and the city
spread along the river Isle as it used to be in the 2nd century. But it is
only when the rail went through Périgueux in 1856 that the city really
expanded (5700 inhabitants in 1801, 13000 inhabitants in 1850, 31300 in
1890). |
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In the 20th century, “Great Périgueux” developed through the
neighbouring villages, going past the loop of the river Isle. “Great Périgueux”
is composed of 9 “communes” and has, according to the population census made in
1999, about 65000 inhabitants whereas Périgueux itself has about 32500
inhabitants.
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