Bordeaux

Bordeaux, city, southwestern France, capital of Gironde Department, on the Garonne River. It is a major port, accessible to oceangoing ships via the Gironde River, which flows into the Bay of Biscay (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean). In addition, canals link the city with the Mediterranean Sea. Bordeaux is the base for a large fishing fleet, and it is the chief trade and shipping center for the world-famous Bordeaux wines that are produced nearby. In 2007 the historic center of Bordeaux was proclaimed a World Heritage Site.

Lying along a broad bend in the Garonne, the site of Bordeaux is crescent-shaped. From the center of the city and north, Bordeaux is well planned, with wide streets, spacious squares (notably the Place des Quinconces), and many imposing buildings. To the south of this section, which was constructed during the 18th century, is the old section, with narrow, crooked streets and numerous wooden structures in the 15th-century architectural style. One of the principal points of interest in the city is the Porte de Burgundy, an arched gate dating from the 18th century, at the end of the vehicular and pedestrian bridge spanning the Garonne. Noted churches include the Cathedral of Saint André (consecrated 1006); the Church of Sainte Croix, a Romanesque basilica of the 12th and 13th centuries; and the Church of Saint Seurin, dating from the 11th to the 15th century. Other points of interest include the Hôtel de Ville, former residence of the archbishops; the Bordeaux Library, which contains many valuable manuscripts; the Grand Théâtre, an 18th-century structure; and several art museums. Bordeaux and nearby Talence are the sites of the universities of Bordeaux I, II, III, and IV established in the early 1970s to replace the University of Bordeaux (1441).

Before the Roman conquest of Gaul, the city, then known as Burdigala, was the capital of the region held by the Bituriges Vivisci, a Celtic tribe. It fell to the Romans in the 1st century bc, and developed into a flourishing commercial center. In the 4th century ad it was made the capital of the province of Aquitania Secunda and the seat of an archbishopric. After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, it was held for varying periods by the Goths and Normans. In 1154, through the marriage (1152) of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II of England, Bordeaux became a dominion of England. The English withdrew from the city in 1453 during the Hundred Years' War, as a result of reverses inflicted by the French. Accustomed to regional autonomy during English rule, between 1548 and 1675 the city was the site of revolts against French rule. Bordeaux was a stronghold of the Girondins, a moderate Republican faction, during the French Revolution. Severe reprisals were inflicted on the Bordeaux Girondins during the Reign of Terror, when the revolutionary government of France was in the hands of extremists. The city became the seat of the French government in the final stages of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). During World War I (1914-1918) the French government again moved to Bordeaux. The city served as the seat of government for a short time in 1940, during World War II, but was soon thereafter occupied by the Germans. French troops cleared the city of the last German troops in April 1945. The city has been a manufacturing center, producing goods such as ships, refined petroleum, motor vehicles, chemicals, and processed foods. Population (2005 estimate) 230,600.