Uzerche

Uzerche
Uzerche
Administration
Country France
Region Limousin
Department Corrèze
Arrondissement Tulle
Canton Uzerche
Intercommunality Pays d'Uzerche
Mayor Sophie Dessus
(2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation 270–441 m (890–1,447 ft)
(avg. 333 m/1,093 ft)
Land area1 23.85 km2 (9.21 sq mi)
Population2 3,187  (2008)
 - Density 134 /km2 (350 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 19276/ 19140
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Uzerche (Usercha in Occitan) is a commune in the Corrèze department in the Limousin region of central France.

In 1787, the English writer Arthur Young described the city as "The Pearl of the Limousin," nicknamed because of its picturesque setting, and a name by which it is still widely known today. Built atop a rocky outcrop, surrounded by a meander of the river Vézère which it dominates, Uzerche possesses a rich cultural heritage. First as a centre of influence and an important crossroads fortress under Pepin the Short, the city was also the seat of a powerful abbey and later a Seneschal. This legacy means that Uzerche features castles, hotels and other buildings marked by turrets [1] that were built by the uzerchoise nobility and that can still be seen today, thereby, adding weight to the saying, "He who has an Uzerche house has a castle in the Limousin [2].

Contents

Location

Uzerche is a hill town, built on a deeply-incised meander of the Vézère River. As such, it is a natural citadel. Uzerche is located a few kilometres beyond the western edge of the Plateau de Millevaches. Situated directly on one of France's main north-south routes historically, it is now by-passed to the west by the A20 autoroute.

History

Uzerche's history as a fortified town began in the late Roman period. According to legend, Uzerche was evangelised by Saint Martial, the first bishop of Limoges. It remained an important citadel and ecclesiastical centre throughout the Merovingian and Carolingian periods.

A Benedictine abbey was founded in the 9th century. In the 11th century, a major Romanesque abbey church was constructed at the summit of the town. It was consecrated in 1097. With some Gothic additions, this constitutes the abbatiale Saint-Pierre or Abbey Church of St Peter, which commands all views of the town to this day.

As a major route junction and market town, Uzerche continued to grow throughout the medieval period. It became the seat of a royal seneschal and the recognised capital of the lower Limousin.

The mid-18th century saw the construction across the river of a notable bridge, the Pont Turgot, the main approach to the town today. In 1855, a major tunnel improved access along the main north-south route, later the RN20. The arrival of the railway in the late 19th century resulted in the construction of large viaducts and tunnels, some of which have since become redundant and form footpaths from which to view the town.

Another major product of the period is the town's old lycée or grammar school, which was built deliberately alongside the abbey church, in a commanding position above the river, symbolically challenging the old clerical order in the town.

The town today retains a large number of medieval and early modern buildings, all dominated by the ancient abbey, with the school and the mairie, arranged around a steeply sloping square, now named the Place de la Libération. It has seen a rapid growth in tourism in recent years.

Population

Historical population of Uzerche
Year 1793 1800 1806 1821 1831 1836 1841 1846 1851 1856
Population 1900 1808 1942 2102 3214 3223 3217 3415 3428 3324
Year 1861 1866 1872 1876 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906
Population 3180 3221 3022 2982 3019 3228 4351 3222 3126 3173
Year 1911 1921 1926 1931 1936 1946 1954 1962 1968 1975
Population 3175 2900 3030 3163 3201 3575 3536 3316 3314 3091
Year 1982 1990 1999 2008
Population 3097 2813 3058 3187

See also

References

Gallery

External links