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Perpignan

Perpignan, known in Catalan as Perpinyà, is a city in southern France. It is the capital of the Pyrénées-Orientales department and part of the Occitanie region. The city sits on the left bank of the Têt river, near the Mediterranean coast and at the foot of the Pyrenees, close to the Spanish border. The area has a strong Catalan cultural heritage, reflected in traditions, cuisine, and bilingual place names.

Perpignan has roots in ancient times and grew as a fortified border town during the Middle Ages.

The city has about 110,000–120,000 residents, with a metropolitan area around a quarter of a million. Its

Culturally, Perpignan remains closely tied to Catalan traditions. Notable sites include the Palace of the Kings

It
became
the
capital
of
the
Kingdom
of
Majorca
in
the
13th
and
14th
centuries,
and
its
historic
center
preserves
medieval
landmarks
such
as
the
Palace
of
the
Kings
of
Majorca
and
the
Castillet,
a
brick
city
gate.
In
1659
the
Treaty
of
the
Pyrenees
transferred
the
town
from
the
Crown
of
Aragon
to
France,
and
Perpignan
subsequently
developed
as
a
French
frontier
city.
economy
centers
on
services,
commerce,
tourism,
and
logistics,
supported
by
the
airport
at
Perpignan–Rivesaltes
and
railway
connections
to
national
networks
and
to
Spain.
The
University
of
Perpignan
Via
Domitia
serves
higher
education
and
research
in
the
region.
of
Majorca,
the
Castillet
city
gate,
and
the
Cathedral
of
Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
The
Musée
Hyacinthe
Rigaud
hosts
regional
art,
and
the
city
hosts
events
reflecting
its
hybrid
Catalan-French
identity.