In France, many cities have decided to participate in the competition to become the European Capital of Culture in together with a city in the Czech Republic. With EcocNews also for we discover which are some of the candidate cities and how they are moving to involve citizens and to change the destiny of their cities.
Also in this circumstance we asked all the French candidate cities the same questions. Bourges is the capital of Cher, in the Center-Loire Valley region. The city has a population of just over 68,, and nearly , with its metropolitan area. City of Art and History, Bourges has a rich architectural heritage. This cathedral of Gothic architecture is extremely unusual in that it does not possess a transept. Its ancient stained glass windows as well as the sculptures of its central portal are awe-inspiring.
Nearby, the flower garden of the Archbishop's Palace is a quiet and peaceful place offering a magnificent view of the Saint-Etienne cathedral. Bourges is twinned with 8 cities like Aveiro, candidate citiy for european Capital of culture in in Portugal. Why did your city decide to apply for the European capital of culture?
The vision of these citizens was to extend the oversized cultural activity of this city of It was then pushed in a second phase by the candidate Mayor Yann Galut and his team during the election campaign of , that he won, as a central leverage, the best tool, to enable the city to transform itself on a long term vision and strategy and reaffirm, restore its posiiton throuhout the centuries as an innovative European city.
With a unique cultural heritage for a city of 65 inhabitants and 3 listings at Unesco, Bourges, once the capital of France during the years war, has always played an innovative role in French and European society using culture : starting with the « grandes heures de Bourges » from duke Jean de Berry to the first Maison de la Culture and the creation of Printemps de Bourges for music at contemporary times.
