Perpignan city in the Roussillon, France

Unlike most of the cities of the Languedoc-Roussillon or the Midi-Pyrenees, Perpignan is as rather "recent" city. The first mention of Perpignan in book dates 927, it is about the bill of sale of a ground mentioned as "villa Perpignano". Long before this time, The Celts had been inhabit this land around 500 BC, then the Romans in - 121 where the "oppidum of Ruscino" was the siege of their administration in the region and became the capital of this land. It is accredited that his name of Roussillon was called after this oppidum Ruscino.

Perpignan knows its golden age with the "Realm of Mallorca", from 1276 till 1344, period during which the city was the continental capital of a Mediterranean and partially island state. The royal city was then covered with architecture and with Gothic decoration, with collegiate churches; its trade prosperity is exported in the Mediterranean Basin.

Today modern Perpignan is a large city of 280'000 inhabitants widely open to tourism and still closely involved with its Spanish neighbour province of Cataluna. Through Perpignan airport tourism from Perpignan region spread for the beautiful Mediterranean coast to the sky-scrapping ski resorts up the Pyrenees Mountains.

Perpignan Tourist Office

I'Esprit de Perpignan La Catalane