The second most populated town in theNouvelle-Aquitaine region afterBordeaux, auniversity 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.[2] The inhabitants of the city are called the Limougeauds.
Founded around 10 BC under the name of Augustoritum, it became an importantGallo-Roman city. During theMiddle Ages Limoges became a large city, strongly marked by the cultural influence of theAbbey of Saint-Martial, where theDukes of Aquitaine were invested and crowned. From the 12th century onwards, itsenamels were exported throughout the Christian world. In 1765, during the industrial revolution, the discovery of a deposit ofkaolin in theSaint-Yrieix-la-Perche region enabled the development of theLimoges porcelain industry. It is sometimes nicknamed "the red city" or "the Rome of socialism" because of its tradition ofvoting on the left and the workers' events it experienced from the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century.
Scarce remains of pre-urban settlements have been found in the area of Limoges. The capital of theGaulish people of theLemovices, who lived in the area, was probably either nearVillejoubert, some kilometres south-east ofSaint-Léonard-de-Noblat, or St Gence, just west of Limoges.
The city proper was founded asAugustoritum by theRomans, around 10 BC: "rito-" isGaulish for "ford". The foundation was part of the reorganization of the province by the emperorAugustus, hence the new name. The Roman city included anamphitheatre measuring 136 x 115 metres, a theatre, aforum, baths and several sanctuaries. According to tradition, a temple consecrated toVenus,Diana,Minerva andJupiter 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 theLemovices) whose chief town it was; "Lemovices" subsequently evolved into "Limoges", and "Lemovicinus" for the area around changed into "Limousin".[citation needed]
Limoges was evangelized bySaint 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 with the construction of theAbbey of St. Martial (9th century), another settlement grew around the tomb of the saint, while a third area, next to the residence of theviscount (the future Castle of Saint Martial), seems to have been populated from the 10th century.[citation needed]
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 theSt. Martial School; its most famous member was the 13th-centurytroubadourBertran de Born.[citation needed]
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 theVienne 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 metre high walls, including the abbey 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 byEdward, the Black Prince, whomassacred some 300 residents, "perhaps a sixth of the normal population", with another 60 members of the garrison of 140 dead as well.[9]
The porcelain industry started to develop, favoured by the presence ofkaolinite 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 ofLimoges Boxes, dinnerware, and other porcelain wares. Because the Limousin region has had a long history of breeding (Baronet sheep andLimousine 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 theFrench Revolution several religious edifices, considered symbols of theAncien Régime, were destroyed by the population: these included the Abbey of St. Martial itself.[11]
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, includingthat 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]
Limoges experiences anoceanic 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 theBay of Biscay.
Climate data for Limoges (LIG), elevation: 402 m (1,319 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1973–present
In 2018, the population of the commune proper was 131,479, and of the Limoges functional urban area 323,789.[2] Inhabitants of Limoges are calledlimougeauds in French.[15] 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.[16]
St Étienne Cathedral, LimogesSaint Martial BridgeGare des BénédictinsTheHôtel de Ville
TheCrypt of Saint Martial, 10th century, including the tomb of the bishop who evangelized the city.[18] 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]
TheGothicLimoges 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 Renaissancerood screen and the tomb of the bishop Jean de Langeac, with sculpted scenes of the Apocalypse.
TheChapelle Saint-Aurélien (14th–17th centuries). It includes the relics ofSt. Aurelian, the second bishop ofLimoges, and has medieval statues and Baroque works of art.
Church ofSt-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-Étienne (13th century).
The Limoges Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts), housed in the 18th-century bishops' palace ('Palais de l'Évêché').[19]
TheChâteau de La Borie (17th century), 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 theHundred Years' War it was a base of bands of pillagers who ravaged the country.
In 1768,[10]kaolin, a rock rich in fine, white clay which is used for makingporcelain, was discovered atSaint-Yrieix-la-Perche, 30 km south of Limoges. Under the impetus of the progressive economistAnne Robert Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune, who had been appointedintendant of this impoverished and isolated region, a newceramics industry was developed, andLimoges 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 (there are still several porcelain factories in and around Limoges). More than 50% of all porcelain made in France comes from Limoges.[10]
The city is one of France's basketball capitals. ThePalais des Sports de Beaublanc, has been host for international basketball events such as theEuroBasket 1983 and serves as home court for the professional teamCSP Limoges (Cercle St Pierre). Since 1983, the club has been French champion 11 times (1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2014, 2015) and 5 European titles (1982, 1983, 2000 (Korac Cup), 1988 (FIBA Saporta Cup), 1993 (Euroleague)). It was the first French club team to becomeEuropean champion in a collective sport.[23][24]The team currently plays inPro A, the French first basketball professional league.
Limoges Hand 87 is a French handball team based in Limoges, France, which is currently playing in the Division 2 of Ligue Nationale de Handball.
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.
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 theLimoges trolleybus system, one of only four such systems currently operating in France.
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