Who writes to Jacques?

Cher Jacques, is a weekly letter about going out in Bourges. Every Thursday it picks five events for the weekend (concerts, shows, exhibitions, markets, neighbourhood fêtes) and says in a few lines why they are worth the trip. The full listings already exist elsewhere; here, we choose.

Why Jacques? For Jacques Cœur, the most famous man Bourges ever produced: merchant, treasurer to King Charles VII, builder of the palace that still bears his name. His coat of arms carries hearts and scallop shells, hence our emblem, and his motto, « À cœur vaillant rien d’impossible » (to a valiant heart, nothing is impossible), can still be read on the walls of his palace. Each letter tells him what has become of his town. And cher means “dear”, but the Cher is also our département, named after the river that crosses it: the pun was too good to pass up.

This letter is an independent project. Bourges will be European Capital of Culture in 2028; Cher Jacques, is affiliated neither with the official Bourges 2028 organisation nor with the City of Bourges. No organiser chooses or pays for the picks; a letter’s sponsor, when it has one, is labelled as such.

Organising something in or around Bourges? Tell Jacques about it: the form is in French, every proposal is read, and the ones picked go into the listings.

The English edition covers the listings: dates, places and prices in English, for visitors and newcomers alike. The letter itself, the legal notice and the privacy policy are written in French, and so is the signup form. Past letters can be read on the letters page. Sign-up opens very soon on the home page.