Limousin – Origin
Limousin was established as an administrative region during the 1960 territorial reform.
Limoges, its capital (or préfecture), is home to nearly 40% of the local population.
Limousin is now part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, one of the 13 new regions created by the territorial reform that came into effect on January 1, 2016.
The historical region comprises three departments:
Corrèze (19 – Tulle), Creuse (23 – Guéret), and Haute-Vienne (87 – Limoges).
Despite its size, Limousin is the second least populated region in metropolitan France, after Corsica, in terms of population density.
Historic Limousin
The Lemovices, a Celtic tribe that ruled the region before the Roman conquest, gave their name to the area.
Limousin was initially part of Aquitania, a province created by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 16 BC, a region that underwent significant historical upheavals.
Indeed, in 412 AD, the Visigoths invaded Aquitania, which stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the northern Pyrenees. However, in 507 AD, the Frankish king Clovis defeated the Visigothic king Alaric II at the Battle of Vouillé and incorporated Aquitaine into his kingdom of the Franks, later known as the Kingdom of France.
The Duchy of Aquitaine was founded in 675 AD, leading to the organisation of Limousin into viscounties.
Eleanor of Aquitaine brought Aquitaine as her dowry when she married Henry Plantagenet, who ascended the English throne in 1152 as Henry II.
The fate of Limousin changed again when it definitively returned to the French Crown in 1607.
Limousin picturesque landscape
The region’s picturesque landscape is characterised by a vast network of rivers meandering through lush, green countryside, while hills and forests cover 34% of its total area. The regional economy is based primarily on agriculture, livestock farming, and forestry.
While mining once played a significant role, notably with gold extraction by the Gauls over 2,000 years ago, activities have since diversified. Kaolin, essential for porcelain production, has been mined since the 18th century, as has uranium for a brief period in the second half of the 20th century.
The Limousin region experiences a highly varied climate due to its diverse topography. The mountainous areas have a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. The plateaus enjoy a temperate climate, while the western valleys benefit from oceanic influence. Due to its relative isolation from major roads, the Limousin region has preserved its authenticity and remains untouched by mass tourism. However, the creation of the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park and the Millevaches Regional Natural Park has catalysed the development of cultural tourism and ecotourism in the region.
Some of Limousin’s many tourist sites
Limoges, the former historic capital, is world-renowned for its porcelain. But did you know it’s also the birthplace of the Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir?
And did you know that the famous tapestry Lady and the Unicorn was discovered at the Chateau de Boussac, dating back to the 14th century?
Did you know that Saint-Robert and Collonges-la-Rouge are ranked among the Plus Beaux Villages de France for their exceptional beauty, and that Uzerche is nicknamed the Pearl of the Limousin?
Furthermore, the discovery of the burial site of a 45,000-year-old Neanderthal at La Chapelle aux Saints sheds new light on the origin of humankind.
The chateau of the Marquise de Pompadour, King Louis XV’s favourite, also served as a national stud farm, where the famous Anglo-Arabian breed was developed.
Finally, did you know that Richard the Lionheart was mortally wounded at the castle of Chalus-Chabrol, and that Oradour-sur-Glane remains a village of martyrs, preserved in its war-state as a haunting reminder of history?
Area: 16,942 km²
Population: 742,771 (01/01/2013)
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Saut du Chalard by Traumrune CC BY-SA 3.0 – Moulin Piangaud at La Coquille by Père Igor CC BY-SA 3.0 – Header and Photo1 and Lac de Vassivieres by BiacheB CC BY-SA 3.0
