Bourg-Madame (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.INSEE commune file
Geography Localisation Bourg-Madame is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. It lies right on the border with Spain. It abuts directly onto the Spanish town of Puigcerdà, and is near the Spanish exclave of Llívia.
Toponymy The town used to be known in French as Les Guinguettes,Jtosti.com until 1815 when it was renamed Bourg-Madame in honour of the wife of the Duke of Angoulême. The Catalan name for the town is still the traditional one.
History In the 20th century, Bourg-Madame was the site of a camp housing Republican escapees from Spain at the end of the Spanish Civil War.
Government and politics Mayors Mayor Term start Term endThomas Casals Fabricio Cardenas, Vieux papiers des Pyrénées-Orientales, Bombardement collatéral en Cerdagne, janvier 1938, 23 december 20141930?Jean Salvat L'Indépendant, La parole aux deux nouveaux sénateurs, 5 october 201119451965Joseph Calvet19651995Jean-Jacques Fortuny19952020Daniel Armisen2020incumbent
Transport Roads The following major roads lead to Bourg-Madame:
N-20 from Ur to the north; N-154 and D-68 from the Spanish enclave Llívia to the northeast; N-116 from Saillagouse to the east; D-30 and D-70 from Osséja and Palau-de-Cerdagne to the southeast; N-152 from Puigcerdà to the west.
Railways
Bourg-Madame is located at a key point of intersection for railways that link Toulouse, Barcelona, and Valencia (as well as Perpignan to the east via the Yellow Train).
The railway station is located in the Arena district.
Population
International relations The commune is twinned with: Vespella de Gaià, Spain
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Orientales department
References