Viscounty of Limoges
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since March 2007. |
Between Limoges, Brive and Périgueux, the viscounts of Limoges, also called viscounts of Ségur created a small principality, whose last heir was Henry IV. Ségur was the main home of these viscounts, in the heart of their domain. The viscounty went from the Limoges-Ségur family into the hands of the Brittany one, then to Albret's and eventually to Bourbons'.
Their territory included the castles of Ségur, Excideuil, Aixe-su-Vienne, Auberoche and Nontron.
Contents |
[edit] Ségur Castle
Built in a shingle of the Auvézère River, at the borders of Saint-Eloi, Saint Julien, Payzac and Beyssenac parishes, the place is naturally defensive. The Ségur "verteil" (headquarters of the milites castri, the knights who defend the castle) was home to the Pérusse family (future dukes of the Cars), Bonneval family (future marquises of Bonneval) (Claude Alexandre de Bonneval became a famous Ottoman Empire pasha), and Prévot family (later "du Mas" family, future marquises of Paysac).
The upper castle is in ruins. Today, the only remaining part is the Pérusse hotel, in the "verteil". No visits (december 2006)
[edit] Excideuil Castle
Only two big towers remain, joined together by a screen wall that used to be the aula pinion. The main home (16th or 17th century?) was doubled in width, at the beginning of the 20th century. Vis-à-vis the city, the outwards gate of the milites castri's verteil is a beautiful, Renaissance door
[edit] Aixe Castle
[edit] Thiviers Castle
Please see Thiviers article
[edit] Auberoche Castle
Detailed article: [[(French) Château d'Auberoche]].
Probably around 1037 or 1059, the successor of Bishop Frotaire (the castrum founder) is said to have submitted the place to the Limoges viscount, in order to get the protection of this laic potentate against the Count of Périgord.
As soon as the last third of the 12th century (1154-1157), the Viscount of Limoges acknowledges the bishop of Périgueux as his suzerain, as far as Auberoche is concerned. By this submission, the viscount extended his domination up to the Périgord episcopal and county headquarters gates. Therefore, the viscounts of Limoges could maintain and use of their political and economic power at the gates of Périgueux. The castle became a chaplain center which included 16 parishes (in 1365) and controled two main, convergent traffic streams towards Périgueux city, through the Auvézère and Manoir valleys.
Confirmed as soon as September 1257, the judicial and administrative power was enforced in the whole district area by a provost, agent of the viscount of Limoges.
[edit] Nontron Castle
The Counts of Segur from North and Central France also invaded Southern England and acquired much wealth and property. Many Dukes arose in Both England and France with the Segur name which is not the current Brittish Monarchy surname.
The Segur name is said to have a Provencal or Catalan root with variations such as Segura and Seguret. Segur comes from the latin or in Roman times from the word Securus meaning "Security".
Some notable Segurs may have been:Henry IV, Richard II, Edward III, and many other sovereign princes. The following are the Counts of Segur:Phillip, Henry, Louis, Joseph, Duke, and William. The following Royal/Nobility classifications of the Segur Dynasty are Dukes, Marquess(es), Counts, Viscounts, Barons, Landgraves, Abbots, Bishops, and even a Pope.
In fact, at one time fully half of Europe was owned by monasteries and other church institutions, and an abbey such as that of Mount Casino had a revenue of more than a million dollars annually. And while swearing vows of obedience its abbots became dukes and sovereign princes, and in Britain sat as peers in Parliament; One of the abbots of St. Gall once entering Strasbourg with a thousand horsemen in his train.
