Aux Dames de France, Art Nouveau former department store in Perpignan, France

Aux Dames de France is an Art Nouveau department store in Perpignan situated between the old town and train station, featuring an ornate facade with decorative details. The building rises across multiple levels with retail spaces throughout and showcases characteristic early 20th century design elements and materials.

The Aux Dames de France chain decided in 1900 to open a Perpignan branch; architect Georges Debrie, who had already built stores for the chain in Hyères (1895) and Toulouse (1904), placed it on the new Place de Catalogne. The store opened in 1905 and closed in 1988. Its daring zenithal glass-and-iron dome was destroyed in 1963.

The name Aux Dames de France reflects how department stores marketed themselves to female shoppers in the early 1900s. The layout and design reveal how these buildings functioned as social gathering places where shopping became part of urban culture.

The building stands largely empty since Fnac moved out in October 2019; only a Kartell shop remained on the ground floor. Visitors can still walk around the exterior on Place de Catalogne, opposite Perpignan station, and read the "Aux Dames de France" inscription above the main entrance. The interior was largely modernised and is not open for tours.

The facades received official protection status in 1999, meaning any changes must follow strict guidelines. This protection elevated the building as one of the preserved Art Nouveau landmarks in southern France.