Limoges, originally the Gallo-Roman town of Civitas Lemoricum, the see of a bishop since the third century and now chief town of the département of Haute-Vienne, lies on the right bank of the Vienne in the hilly country of the Limousin. It is famous for Limoges enamel, which was made here from the 12th to the 17th C; its greatest days were in the Middle Ages. Limoges is now a busy industrial town (principally porcelain and footwear).
In Limoges, below the cathedral, to the east, is the eight-arched Pont St-Etienne (13th C.). South of this is the 12th C. Pont St- Martial. To the west of the cathedral is the old-world Rue de la Boucherie, where the butchers had their shops in the Middle Ages. At its west end is the chapel of St- Aurélien (15th C.), with a 17th C. west front and tower and a richly decorated interior.
This lavishly designed rail station, created in 1929, announced to the world that Limoges was ready to takes its place in the world as an important and respected city.
A little way east of the Place de la République, the central feature of the town of Limoges, is the church of St-Pierre-du-Queyroix (13th-14th century), with choir-stalls of 1513, a 16th century Pietà and a 14th century figure of Christ. West of this is the church of St-Michel-des- Lions (13th, 14th and 16th century), with Late Gothic stained glass, relics of St Martial and a 15th century Pietà.
Adjoining the cathedral is the former Bishop's Palace, now the Municipal Museum (Limoges enamels, Egyptian antiquities, local history, pictures). Behind it are the Jardins de l'Evêché.
Address: Evêche Municipal Museum - Enamel Museum, Place de la Cathédrale, F-87000 Limoges, France
Hours:
June 1 to September 30: 10am-11:45am, 2pm-6pm; Closed: Tue
October 1 to May 31: 10am-11:45am, 2pm-5pm; Closed: Tue, Tue
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Remembrance Day / 1918 Armistice Day (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The Musée National Adrien Dubouché, established in 1867, has an important ceramic collection, including items from the Limousin, China, Japan and Persia. Visitors interested in Limoges enamel will want to see the Enamel Workshop at 31 rue des Tanneries, where the techniques of enamel-working are explained.
Address: Musée National Adrien Dubouché, 8 place Winston Churchill, F-87000 Limoges, France
Hours:
July 1 to August 31: 10am-5:45pm; Closed: Tue
September 1 to June 30: 10am-12:30pm, 2pm-5:45pm; Closed: Tue, Tue
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
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Cathedral of St Etienne
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