Pessac is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a member of the metropolis of Bordeaux, being the second-largest suburb of Bordeaux and located just southwest of it. Pessac is also home to Bordeaux Montaigne University and the Institut d'études politiques de Bordeaux.

Geography

Pessac is located in the south of the Bordeaux metro area and is surrounded by Bordeaux, Talence, Gradignan, Canéjan, Cestas, Saint-Jean-d'Illac and Mérignac. The western part of the commune is part of the Landes de Bordeaux.

History

Early in World War II (June 22, 1940), the town was the scene of a quadruple execution on the firing range of Verthamon. Four communists militants, one of whom, Roger Rambaud, was 17-years-old, were among the escapees from the military prison in Paris, were killed in the utmost secrecy by soldiers of the Third Republic. This case, classified "Secret Defense" for 70 years, was revealed by historian Jacky Tronel, in a 2010 article in the history journal Arkheia, which focuses on the history of the French Great South-West region.

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods of Pessac :

Heritage

Wineries

Located on the Pessac-Léognan appellation, there are several wineries, including the oldest of the Bordeaux wine regions, château Haut-Brion.

Cité Frugès

Built by Le Corbusier in 1926, the district is an experimental housing for workers. This is one of the 17 architectural works of Le Corbusier listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016.

Casino district

Quarter built in the 1900s with a resort city architecture.

Others

Population

Education

9 Kindergartens • École maternelle Alouette • École maternelle Cap de Bos • École maternelle François Mauriac • École maternelle Joliot-Curie • École maternelle Le Colombier • École maternelle Le Monteil • École maternelle Le Pontet • École maternelle Montesquieu • École maternelle Pape Clément 15 Grade schools • École primaire Cap de Bos • École primaire Édouard Herriot • École primaire Jacques Cartier • École primaire Joliot-Curie • École primaire Montesquieu • École primaire Pierre Castaing • École primaire Toctoucau • École Aristide Briand • École de Magonty • École Georges Leygues • École Jean Cordier • École Jeanne d'Arc Assomption • École Jules Ferry • École Roland Dorgelès • École Saint Exupéry 5 Middle schools 3 High schools

Transportation

Pessac has a railway station on the westbound line from Bordeaux, Gare de Pessac. Pessac is also served by the urban transport network of the Bordeaux agglomeration, Transports Bordeaux Métropole (TBM). Pessac is located on line B of the Tramway de Bordeaux.

Personalities

Twin towns - sister cities

Pessac is twinned with: