Limoges
Limoges
Limòtges ( Prefecture and commune | |
---|---|
CU Limoges Métropole | |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Emile-Roger Lombertie[1] |
Area 1 | 77.45 km2 (29.90 sq mi) |
• Urban | 270.9 km2 (104.6 sq mi) |
• Metro | 3,407 km2 (1,315 sq mi) |
Population (2021)[2] | 129,760 |
• Density | 1,700/km2 (4,300/sq mi) |
• Urban (2018[3]) | 186,799 |
• Urban density | 690/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
• Metro (2018[3]) | 323,789 |
• Metro density | 95/km2 (250/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 87085 /87000 |
Elevation | 209–431 m (686–1,414 ft) (avg. 294 m or 965 ft) |
Website | www.ville-limoges.fr |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Limoges (/lɪˈmoʊʒ/,[4][5] US also /liːˈ-/,[4][6] French: [limɔʒ] ⓘ;[4] Occitan: Lemòtges, locally Limòtges [liˈmɔdzes]) is a city and commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne department in west-central France.[7] It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated on the first western foothills of the Massif Central, Limoges is crossed by the river Vienne, of which it was originally the first ford crossing point.
The second most populated town in the New Aquitaine region after Bordeaux, a university town, an administrative centre and intermediate services with all the facilities of a regional metropolis, it has an urban area of 323,789 inhabitants in 2018.[3] The inhabitants of the city are called the Limougeauds.
Founded around 10 BC under the name of Augustoritum, it became an important
Since the 1990s, the city has had a basketball club,
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 either near Villejoubert, some kilometres south-east of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, or St Gence, just west of Limoges.
The city proper was founded as Augustoritum by the
Limoges was evangelized by
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 was home to an important school of medieval music composition, which is usually called the
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 workers. It has a bridge on the Vienne river named after Saint-Étienne, built by the bishops, and a developed port. Sacked in 1370, it never recovered entirely.
- The castle, with 12 meter-high walls, including the abbey and controlled by the abbot, sometimes in contrast with the bishop-ruled town ("la Cité"). Traces of the walls can still be seen in the city centre. Outside the lines of walls were the popular quarters.
In 1370, Limoges was occupied by
Modern history
The porcelain industry started to develop, favoured by the presence of kaolinite which was discovered near Limoges in 1768[10] (near St Yrieix, south-west of Limoges). 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. Because the Limousin region has had a long history of breeding (Baronet sheep and Limousine cows), the leather industry also settled in and around Limoges along the banks of the Vienne–the river providing the necessary water and power. Factories in Limoges and St Junien still produce luxury leather shoes, gloves, and bags.
The city and castle were united in 1792 to form the single city of Limoges. During the
In the 19th century Limoges saw strong construction activity, which included the destruction and rebuilding of much of the city centre. The unsafe conditions of the poorer population is highlighted by the outbreak of several riots, including that of July–November 1830 and April 1848. The first French confederation of workers, Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) (General Confederation of Labour), was created in Limoges in 1895.[citation needed]
In early 1905, strikes began in another local industry, shoe factories soon followed in the porcelain factories. Barricades were built, the army intervened. There would be two casualties: a horse and a young porcelain worker, Camille Vardelle.[citation needed]
During
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 (92 mph). On average, the city experiences 41 days of frost and 18 days of snow each winter. In June, July and August, precipitation tends to come only from violent thunderstorms coming from the Bay of Biscay.
Climate data for Limoges (LIG), elevation: 402 m (1,319 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1973–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 17.2 (63.0) |
23.1 (73.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
27.8 (82.0) |
29.8 (85.6) |
36.3 (97.3) |
38.2 (100.8) |
37.2 (99.0) |
34.5 (94.1) |
30.0 (86.0) |
22.9 (73.2) |
18.3 (64.9) |
38.2 (100.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.2 (45.0) |
8.4 (47.1) |
12.1 (53.8) |
14.8 (58.6) |
18.5 (65.3) |
22.0 (71.6) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.4 (75.9) |
20.6 (69.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
10.7 (51.3) |
7.9 (46.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.6 (40.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
8.2 (46.8) |
10.6 (51.1) |
14.1 (57.4) |
17.5 (63.5) |
19.5 (67.1) |
19.6 (67.3) |
16.2 (61.2) |
12.7 (54.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
5.3 (41.5) |
11.8 (53.2) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.9 (35.4) |
1.7 (35.1) |
4.3 (39.7) |
6.4 (43.5) |
9.8 (49.6) |
13.0 (55.4) |
14.7 (58.5) |
14.8 (58.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
9.2 (48.6) |
5.0 (41.0) |
2.6 (36.7) |
7.9 (46.2) |
Record low °C (°F) | −19.2 (−2.6) |
−15.0 (5.0) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
4.0 (39.2) |
7.2 (45.0) |
5.4 (41.7) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−10.6 (12.9) |
−19.2 (−2.6) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 90.6 (3.57) |
75.0 (2.95) |
77.8 (3.06) |
87.7 (3.45) |
92.6 (3.65) |
80.0 (3.15) |
62.5 (2.46) |
71.6 (2.82) |
74.9 (2.95) |
94.2 (3.71) |
106.1 (4.18) |
105.0 (4.13) |
1,018 (40.08) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 13.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 12.0 | 11.2 | 9.5 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 9.7 | 12.1 | 13.9 | 13.3 | 133.7 |
Average snowy days | 4.6 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 18.1 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
85 | 80 | 76 | 71 | 75 | 73 | 71 | 72 | 75 | 80 | 82 | 84 | 77 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 79.6 | 104.1 | 157.6 | 173.0 | 205.6 | 224.4 | 243.5 | 236.8 | 198.0 | 135.0 | 85.6 | 78.9 | 1,922 |
Source 1: | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Infoclimat.fr (relative humidity 1961–1990)[13] |
Demographics
In 2018, the population of the commune proper was 131,479, and of the Limoges functional urban area 323,789.[3] Inhabitants of Limoges are called limougeauds in French.[14] The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Limoges proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Limoges absorbed the former commune of Beaune-les-Mines in 1962.[15]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: EHESS[15] and INSEE (1968-2017)[16] |
Main sights
- The Crypt of Saint Martial, 10th century, including the tomb of the bishop who evangelized the city.[17] It was discovered in the 1960s while building an underground parking lot (place de la république).
- Remains of the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre, one of the largest in ancient Gaul. [citation needed]
- The Gothic Limoges Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Limoges), begun in 1273 and only finished in 1888. It is noted for a fine 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 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').[18]
- 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) south of 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 next to the cathedral.
- The University of Limoges was founded in 1968.[19]
Art and literature
"Le marché de Limoges" (Limoges market) is the name of a section of Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky.
In 1768,
Education
Limoges hosts the national ceramics school École d'ingénieurs ENSIL-ENSCI, created in 1893,[20] and also the University of Limoges.
Sports
The city is one of France's basketball capitals. The
Limoges FC was the major city association football team before the club folded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their home games were played at Stade St. Lazare.
USA Limoges is an amateur rugby union club, based in Limoges. Currently competing in Fédérale 1, the top level of the French amateur rugby pyramid and one level below the professional leagues.
Transport
The main railway station of Limoges is the Limoges-Bénédictins station. It offers direct connections with Paris, and Toulouse, and several regional destinations. Limoges was the last major urban centre of Metropolitan France to be connected to the national motorway system; since the early 1990s, the motorway A20 connects Limoges with Châteauroux, Vierzon, Orléans and Paris to the north, and Brive-la-Gaillarde, Cahors, Montauban 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
- Bernard Gui (1261–1331), Inquisitor of Toulouse, Bishop of Lodève, buried in Limoges.
- Pierre de Casa Prior General of the Order of Carmelites then Became Bishop of the Diocese of Vaison (1341–1348) and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (1342–1348)
- Jean Daurat (or Dorat) (1508–1588), poet and scholar, member of the Pléiade
- Henri François d'Aguesseau (1668–1751), chancellor of France
- Jean-Baptiste Jourdan (1762–1833), marshal of France
- Quaker missionary
- Thomas Robert Bugeaud de la Piconnerie, Duke of Duchy of Isly (1784–1849), marshal of France
- Jean Cruveilhier (1791–1874), anatomist and pathologist, born in Limoges
- Michel Chevalier (1806–1879), engineer, economist, and statesman
- Élie Berthet (1815–1891), writer
- Jean-Baptiste Joseph Émile Montégut (1825–1895), critic
- Marie François Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), President of France
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), painter
- André Antoine (1858–1943), theater pioneer, actor, director, filmmaker
- René Navarre (1877–1968), actor
- Marcel Vardelle (1883–1969), politician
- Roger Gonthier (1884–1978), architect
- Raoul Hausmann (1886–1971), artist
- Maryse Bastié (1898–1952), aviator
- Fred Sirieix (born 1972), maître d'hôtel famous for appearing on First Dates.
- Franck Pulcini, 20th-century French trumpeter.
- Fabienne Delsol, a singer active since 1996
- Stéphane Delautrette (born 1972), politician
- Guillaume Moreau (born 1983), racing driver
- Marie-Ange Magne (born 1987), politician
- Matthieu Vaxivière (born 1994), racing driver
Twin towns - sister cities
Limoges is twinned with:[23]
- Charlotte, United States
- Fürth, Germany
- Grodno, Belarus
- Plzeň, Czech Republic
- Seto, Japan
- Icheon, South Korea
See also
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Limoges, the Bishopric of Limoges
- Communes of the Haute-Vienne department
- Chapel of St. Aurelianus, Limoges
References
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d Comparateur de territoire: Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Limoges (041), Commune de Limoges (87085), INSEE
- ^ a b c "Limoges". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ "Limoges". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ^ "Limoges". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ^ INSEE commune file
- ^ "Louvre museum notice". Louvre.fr. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ Sumption, Jonathan. 2009. The Hundred Years War III: Divided Houses. 82–83
- ^ a b c "Limoges". Facstaff.uindy.edu. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ "Climatological Information for Limoges, France". Meteo France. 6 August 2019.
- ^ "LIMOGES–BELLEGARDE (87)" (PDF). Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- ^ "Normes et records 1961–1990: Limoges-Bellegarde (87) – altitude 402m" (in French). Infoclimat. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ Haute-Vienne, habitants.fr
- ^ a b Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Limoges, EHESS (in French).
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
- ^ "Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Martial". Newadvent.org. 1 October 1910. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ "Découvrez le musée des Beaux-Arts de Limoges - Musée des Beaux-Arts de Limoges". www.museebal.fr.
- ^ Université de Limoges website Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in English)
- ^ L'ecole Nationale Supérieure De Céramique Industrielle à Limoges
- ^ "F4 History: 1993, A surprise from France".
- ^ "Une liste de 200 personnalités "à abattre" a été découverte lors de perquisitions chez des". 26 September 1992.
- ^ "Les villes jumelles : une autre façon d'aborder les relations internationales". limoges.fr (in French). Limoges. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Limoges". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Bibliography
External links
- City council website
- Adrien Dubouché Museum – ceramics, glassware, porcelain from Limoges
- History and Geography at Academy of Limoges