Vierzon

Vierzon (French pronunciation: ​[vjɛʁ.zɔ̃]) is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.

Geography

A medium-sized town by the banks of the Cher River with some light industry and an area of forestry and farming to the north. It is situated some 33 km (21 mi) northwest of Bourges, at the junction of the D2020, D2076 and the D918 roads.

Motorways encircle the town on three sides: the A85 and A71 on the north and east and the A20 on the north and west. Railways reached Vierzon in 1847 and a central SNCF hub, serving local and nation rail traffic, has been developed here ever since.

History

Little evidence remains of any pre-Roman occupation, and the Romans themselves didn’t leave much trace of their occupation. Not until 926, when a Benedictine monastery was built (on the site of the current Town Hall) are there any records. The monks came from the abbey of Deuvre, at Saint-Georges-sur-la-Prée, after the abbey was sacked by the Normans in 903. They brought with them the relics of St. Perpetua. These relics were again transferred to the church of Notre-Dame de Vierzon in 1807, where they remain today.