Photo : Pau Barcelo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Perpignan
Capital of the Kingdom of Majorca in the 13th century, whose Palace of the Kings still dominates the upper town, Perpignan has kept a lively Catalan identity, proclaimed on its buildings and still heard in the streets.
The Castillet, an imposing 14th-century red-brick fortified gate that once guarded the entrance to the town, has become the city's emblem and now houses the Casa Pairal, a museum of Catalan folk arts and traditions. The quays of the Basse, laid out on the former bed of the diverted Têt, and the Saint-Jacques district, with lanes enlivened by a large Gypsy community, complete the heritage of a city where Catalan and Mediterranean influences mingle.
Every summer Perpignan also hosts Visa pour l'Image, the international photojournalism festival and a global event for the profession.
