Limoges
| Limoges | ||
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The city hall | ||
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  Limoges | ||
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Location within Limousin region  Limoges | ||
| Coordinates: 45°50′07″N 1°15′45″E / 45.8353°N 1.2625°ECoordinates: 45°50′07″N 1°15′45″E / 45.8353°N 1.2625°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Limousin | |
| Department | Haute-Vienne | |
| Arrondissement | Limoges | |
| Canton | Chief town of 16 cantons | |
| Intercommunality | Limoges Métropole | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2014–) | Emile-roger Lombertie | |
| Area1 | 77.45 km2 (29.90 sq mi) | |
| Population (2006)2 | 139,026 | |
| • Density | 1,800/km2 (4,600/sq mi) | |
| • Metro (2011) | 282 876 | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 87085 / 87000 | |
| Elevation |
209–431 m (686–1,414 ft) (avg. 294 m or 965 ft) | |
| Website | http://www.ville-limoges.fr/ | |
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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. | ||
Limoges (/lɪˈmoʊʒ/;[1]French pronunciation: [li.mɔʒ];[1] Occitan: Lemòtges or Limòtges) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France.
Limoges is known for its medieval and Renaissance enamels (Limoges enamels) on copper, for its 19th-century porcelain (Limoges porcelain) and for its oak barrels which are used for Cognac production.
History
Ancient and medieval history
Scarce remains of pre-urban settlements have been found in the area of Limoges. The capital of the Gaulish people of the Lemovices, who lived in the area, was probably some kilometres south-east of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat.
The city proper was founded as Augustoritum by the Romans, around 10 BC: "rito-" is Gaulish for "ford". The foundation was part of the reorganization of the province by the emperor Augustus, hence the new name. The Roman city included an amphitheatre measuring 136 x 115 metres, a theatre, a forum, baths and several sanctuaries. According to tradition, a temple consecrated to Venus, Diana, Minerva and Jupiter was located near the modern cathedral. The city was on the typical Roman square plan, with two main streets crossing in the centre. It had a Senate and a currency of its own, a sign of its importance in the imperial age. Later, like many towns and cities in Gaul, it was renamed after the tribe (here the Lemovices) whose chief town it was; "Lemovices" changed into "Limoges", and "Lemovicinus" for the area around changed into "Limousin".
Limoges was evangelized by Saint Martial, who came to the city around 250 with two companions, Alpinianus and Austriclinienus. However, in the late 3rd century it was increasingly abandoned, due to unsafe conditions created by the invasions of various Germanic tribes. The population was concentrated instead in a more easily fortifiable site, the modern Puy Saint-Étienne, which is the centre of the modern Limoges. Starting from the construction of the Abbey of St. Martial (9th century), another settlement grew around the tomb of the saint, while a third area, next to the residence of the viscount (the future Castle of Saint Martial), seems to have been populated from the 10th century.
Starting from the 11th century, thanks to the presence of the Abbey of St. Martial and its large library, Limoges became a flourishing artistic centre. It also was home to an important school of medieval music composition, which is usually called the St. Martial School; its most famous member was the 13th-century troubadour Bertran de Born.
In the 13th century, at the peak of its splendour, central Limoges consisted of two fortified settlements.
- The town proper, with a new line of walls encompassing the Vienne River, inhabited mainly by clerks and the connected workers. It has a bridge named after Saint-Étienne, built by the bishops, and a developed port. Sacked in 1370, it never recovered entirely.
- The castle, with 12 m-high walls, including the abbey and controlled by the abbot, sometimes in contrast with the bishop-ruled town. Traces of the walls can still be seen in the city's centre. Outside the lines of walls were the popular quarters.
In 1370, Limoges was occupied by Edward, the Black Prince, who massacred some 3,000 residents, according to Froissart. See Massacre of Limoges. However, Froissart's account is described in Jonathan Sumption's account of the war as "exaggerated and embroidered with much imaginary detail." Citing a monk of St. Martial's Abbey, Sumption posits that a more reliable figure for the number killed is around 300 people, "perhaps a sixth of the normal population," with another 60 members of the garrison of 140 dead as well.[3]
Modern history
The city and castle were united in 1792 to form the single city of Limoges. During the French Revolution several religious edifices, considered symbols of the Ancien Régime, were destroyed by the population: these included the Abbey of St. Martial itself.
Some years later the porcelain industry started to develop, favoured by the presence of kaolinite which was discovered near Limoges in 1768.[4] Many of the inhabitants became employed in the new sector or in connected activities (including the lumbering of wood needed for firing the porcelain) in manufacture and exporting needed for European distribution of Limoges Boxes, dinnerware, and other porcelain wares.
In the 19th century Limoges saw strong construction activity, which included the destruction and rebuilding of much of the city centre. This was necessary, as the town was regarded as unhealthy because of prostitution. The unsafe conditions of the poorer population is highlighted by the outbreak of several riots, including that of July–November 1830; April 1848 and early 1905. The first French confederation of workers, Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) (General Confederation of Labour), was created in Limoges in 1895.
During the Holocaust, many Jews from Alsace were evacuated to Limoges.
Sports
The city is known for its basketball team CSP Limoges which became European champion in 1993. It was the first French club team to become European champion in a collective sport.[5][6] The team currently plays in Pro A, the French first basketball professional division.
Climate
Limoges experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb) common to much of Western France. Most precipitation occurs between October and February. On 27 December 1999, winds reached 148 km/h. On average, the city receives 41 days of frost and seven days of snow each winter. In June, July and August, precipitation tends to come only from violent thunderstorms which form over the Bay of Biscay.
| Climate data for Limoges-Bellegarde (402 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17 (63) |
22 (72) |
24.7 (76.5) |
27.8 (82) |
29.8 (85.6) |
35.7 (96.3) |
35.7 (96.3) |
37.2 (99) |
32.6 (90.7) |
27.3 (81.1) |
22.9 (73.2) |
18.3 (64.9) |
37.2 (99) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.5 (52.7) |
14.1 (57.4) |
18 (64) |
21.4 (70.5) |
23.9 (75) |
23.8 (74.8) |
20.4 (68.7) |
16.1 (61) |
10.4 (50.7) |
7.6 (45.7) |
15.2 (59.32) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) |
1.7 (35.1) |
3.9 (39) |
5.9 (42.6) |
9.5 (49.1) |
12.6 (54.7) |
14.6 (58.3) |
14.5 (58.1) |
11.7 (53.1) |
9 (48) |
4.5 (40.1) |
2.2 (36) |
7.63 (45.73) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −19.2 (−2.6) |
−15 (5) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
4 (39) |
7.2 (45) |
5.4 (41.7) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−7.2 (19) |
−10.6 (12.9) |
−19.2 (−2.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 91.9 (3.618) |
79.8 (3.142) |
78.7 (3.098) |
90.8 (3.575) |
95.7 (3.768) |
77.5 (3.051) |
65.6 (2.583) |
75 (2.95) |
74.1 (2.917) |
93.4 (3.677) |
101.3 (3.988) |
99.7 (3.925) |
1,023.5 (40.292) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 86 | 104 | 156.8 | 167.7 | 204.9 | 227.4 | 238.2 | 231 | 191.5 | 133.3 | 81.4 | 77.6 | 1,899.8 |
| Source: Météo France[7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Population city: 139,502 (limougeauds), urban area: 281,570. At the 1999 census, the population was 133,968.[8]
Main sights
- The Crypt of Saint Martial, 10th century, including the tomb of the bishop who evangelized the city[9] It was discovered in the 1960s.
- Remains of the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre, one of the largest in the ancient Gaul.
- The Gothic Limoges Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Limoges), begun in 1273 and finished only in 1888. It is noted for a fine rood loft built in 1534 and for the partly octagonal bell tower. The main artistic works are a Renaissance rood screen and the tomb of the bishop Jean de Langeac, with sculpted scenes of the Apocalypse.
- The Chapelle Saint-Aurélien (14th–17th centuries). It includes the relics of St. Aurelian, the second bishop of Limoges, and has medieval statues and Baroque works of art.
- The church of St-Pierre-du-Queyroix, begun in the 12th century
- Church of St-Michel-des-Lions, begun in 1364. It houses the relics of St. Martial and has stained-glass windows from the 15th–16th century. The most striking feature is the 65 m-high tower, with a spire surmounted by a big bronze ball.
- The bridges of Saint Martial (dating from the Roman era) and of St-Etienne (13th century).
- The Limoges Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts), housed in the 18th-century bishops' palace ('Palais de l'Évêché').[10]
- The railway station, Gare de Limoges Bénédictins, inaugurated in 1929.
- The Château de La Borie (17th century), at 4 km (2.5 mi) from the city. It is home to the Centre Culturel de Rencontre de La Borie et l'Ensemble Baroque de Limoges.
- The remains of the 12th-century Castle of Chalucet, 10 km (6.2 mi) outside the city. During the Hundred Years' War it was a base of the bands of pillagers which ravaged the country.
- The city's botanical gardens include the Jardin botanique de l'Evêché and the Jardin botanique alpin "Daniella".
- The University of Limoges was founded in 1968.[11]
Art and Literature
"The Marketplace at Limoges" is the name of a section of Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky.
In 1768,[4] kaolin, a rock rich in fine, white clay which is used for making porcelain, was discovered at Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, near Limoges. Under the impetus of the progressive economist Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune, who had been appointed intendant of this impoverished and isolated region, a new ceramics industry was developed, and Limoges porcelain became famous during the 19th century. However, Limoges porcelain is a generic term for porcelain produced in Limoges rather than at a specific factory. More than 50% of all porcelain made in France comes from Limoges[4]
Limoges is mentioned in T.S. Eliot's poem Gerontion (London 1919), lines 23 to 25:
'...Mr. Silvero/ With caressing hands, at Limoges/ Who walked all night in the next room.'
Eliot's compatriot and mentor Ezra Pound visited Limoges in 1912 when researching the landscape and the work of the 12th-century troubadours. As he states in his essay Troubadours: Theirs Sorts and Conditions: '...a man may walk the hill roads and river roads from Limoges and Charente to Dordogne and Narbonne and learn a little, or more than a little, of what the country meant to the wandering singers...'
There is also a reference to Limoges in Jean-Paul Sartre's novel Nausea, near the middle of the book in the Shrove Tuesday section, when the magistrate says: "I had a similar case at the beginning of my career. It was in 1902. I was deputy magistrate at Limoges..."
Transport
The main railway station of Limoges is the Gare de Limoges-Bénédictins. It offers direct connections with Paris, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon and several regional destinations. The motorway A20 connects Limoges with Vierzon and Paris to the north, and Brive-la-Gaillarde and Toulouse to the south. The nearest airport is Limoges – Bellegarde Airport.
Urban transport in Limoges and its metropolitan area is operated by Société de transports en commun de Limoges Métropole (STCL). The Limoges urban bus network includes the Limoges trolleybus system, one of only four such systems currently operating in France.
Notable people
Limoges was the birthplace of
- Maryse Bastié (1898–1952), aviatrix
- Marie François Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), President of France
- Jean-Joseph Sanfourche says "Sanfourche" French painter and poet, born 25 June 1929 in Bordeaux and died on 13 March 2010 (80 years) Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, lived in Limoges,.
- Henri François d'Aguesseau (1668–1751), chancellor of France
- Jean Daurat (or Dorat) (1508–1588), poet and scholar, member of the Pléiade
- Fabienne Delsol, a singer active since 1996
- Roger Gonthier (1884–1978), architect
- Stephen Grellet (1773–1855), Quaker missionary
- Jean-Baptiste Jourdan (1762–1833), marshal of France
- Edmond Malinvaud (1923–present), economist
- Jean-Baptiste Joseph Émile Montégut (1825–1895), critic
- René Navarre (1877–1968), actor
- Thomas Robert Bugeaud de la Piconnerie, Duke of Isly (1784–1849), marshal of France
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), painter
- Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud (1753–1793), orator and revolutionary
- Michel Chevalier (1806-1879), engineer, economist, and statesman
- Albert Chaminade (1912-2009), strong player and head of basketball politician.
- Mario David , French actor, born August 9, 1927 in Charleville-Mezieres and died April 29, 1996 in Paris
- The actor Jean Lefebvre (1919-2004) led one of the first trolleybus Limoges, before his career in film and theater.
- Xavier Darcos (1947), politician
- Theo Sarapo (1936-1970), singer, actor, died at Limoges.
- Pascal Sevran (1945-2008), songwriter, television host, who died in Limoges.
- Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud (1753-1793), revolutionary.
- Roland Dumas (1922), politician.
- Martial Valin (1898-1980), commander of the Free French Air Force.
- François Mitterrand is linked in Limoges because his grandfather Joseph was born September 27, 1873 in Limoges, died in 1946 in Jarnac
- Spanish King Ferdinand VII had one night in 1808. Presented by Napoleon and banished by the Emperor to King Ferdinand VII of Spain spent a night in 1808 Castle Valençay (Indre), he spent a night in guard in Muret, owners at the time of this particular hotel says Sampigny.
- Jean-Gilles du Coëtlosquet Bishop of Limoges and tutor of grandchildren of Louis XV]]
- Guillaume Moreau (born in 1983 in Limoges), automobile driver.
- Guy Roux was a French player and football coach, born 18 October 1938 in Colmar and then was transferred in 1958 in Limoges, where he became a boarding master at the Lycée Gay-Lussac Player Limoges FC 1958-1961
- Edmond Malinvaud (born in 1923 in Limoges), world renowned economist
- Georges Guingouin (Magnac-Laval, 1913 Troyes, 2005), former mayor of Limoges and celebrates resistant
- Michel Denisot (born 1945 Buzançais), former freelance radio ORTF in Limoges, now a pillar of Canal +
- Tōson Shimazaki (1872 - † 1943), Japanese writer, exiled in Limoges in 1915 and 1916.
Twin towns
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Fürth, Germany
Grodno, Belarus
Seto, Japan
Plzeň, Czech Republic
See also
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Limoges, the Bishopric of Limoges
- Communes of the Haute-Vienne department
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Limoges". Collins Dictionary. n.d. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ↑ "Louvre museum notice". Louvre.fr. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ↑ Sumption, Jonathan. 2009. The Hundred Years War III: Divided Houses. 82–83
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Limoges". Facstaff.uindy.edu. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ↑ http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/9066/180/item
- ↑ http://www.humanite.fr/node/40345
- ↑ "Données climatiques de la station de Limoges" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
- ↑ Limoges at INSEE (French)
- ↑ "Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Martial". Newadvent.org. 1 October 1910. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ↑ http://www.museebal.fr/en
- ↑ Université de Limoges website (English)
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. - INSEE commune file
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Limoges. |
- City council website
- Adrien Dubouché Museum – ceramics, glassware, porcelain from Limoges
- History and Geography at Academy of Limoges
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