Mortemart

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Mortemart
Mortemart (France)
Mortemart
region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department Haute-Vienne
Arrondissement Bellac
Canton Bellac
Community association Haut Limousin en Marche
Coordinates 46 ° 3 '  N , 0 ° 57'  E Coordinates: 46 ° 3 '  N , 0 ° 57'  E
height 254-355 m
surface 3.60 km 2
Residents 112 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 31 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 87330
INSEE code 87101

Château de Mortemart castle

Mortemart ( Occitan Morta Mar ) is a French commune of the department of Haute-Vienne in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine . Administratively it is assigned to the canton of Mézières-sur-Issoire and the Arrondissement of Bellac .

The village is classified as one of the Plus beaux villages de France ( Most Beautiful Villages in France ).

geography

The town with 112 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) is located in the Monts de Blond , the westernmost foothills of the Massif Central , 31 kilometers northwest of Limoges . With an area of ​​just 3.6 square kilometers, Mortemart is the smallest municipality in the Haute-Vienne department.

history

The coat of arms of the Lords of Mortemart

The rule of Mortemart took shape in the 10th century. First a moth was built and from 995 a stone castle . The latter was built by Abon Drut after he victoriously defended the city of Bellac against his liege William the Great , Count of Poitiers , for Count La Marche .

In 1205 the fief went to the house of Rochechouart by marriage . Their Rochechouart-Mortemart branch, which was elevated to the Duchy of Mortemart in 1663 , produced many well-known personalities, such as Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart , Marquise de Montespan and mistress of King Louis XIV and Marshal Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart .

In the 14th century, the castle was destroyed by the English during the Hundred Years War . A fortified castle was built elsewhere in the 15th century, but it was razed by Richelieu in the 17th century . Only ruins remained on it for centuries until the castle was restored in the 20th century.

In 1330, the local Cardinal Peter Gauvain, Bishop of Auxerre , completely changed the face of the city with the establishment of three monasteries , the establishment of a Hôtel-Dieu and the opening of a school for children. The Carthusian Abbey disappeared in the following century, but the Augustinian and Carmelite monasteries survived for a long time. The buildings of the two religious orders that still exist date from the 17th and 18th centuries and, together with the Augustinian church and the stately houses, make up Mortemart's charm to this day.

Population development

year 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2009
Residents 185 201 200 161 152 126 121

Culture

The Editions Rougerie publishing house , which specializes in the edition of contemporary poetry , is based in Mortemart .

Attractions

Augustinian monastery
  • The castle Château de Mortemart (also called Château des Ducs , 'Duke's Castle ') has two hired round towers. It was built as a residence by the Mortemart family in the 15th century. The Mortemart dynasty only received the title of duke in the 17th century under Louis XIV. The ruined building was repurchased by a representative of the aristocratic Mortemart family at the end of the 19th century and completely restored - with a moat - in the 20th century. It has been a French cultural monument since 1985 .
  • The Augustinian Church from the 13th century is kept in a pure, simple Gothic style. Originally intended as a monastery chapel, it now serves as Mortemart's parish church . The equipment includes a magnificent choir stalls in the flamboyant style of the 15th century; the choir is adorned with a baroque altarpiece .
  • The Augustinian monastery was designed by the architect Joseph Brousseau in the 18th century. It was the seat of the last canons of Mortemart and is now privately owned. The building, which looks like a small castle, has been a French cultural monument since 1987.
  • The 17th century Carmelite monastery is opposite the Augustinian Church. It looks very sober, but includes some interesting elements such as the portal and the stairs. The building has been a French cultural monument since 1990.
  • The market hall, constructed entirely of wood on Place Royale, dates from the 17th century and has been a French cultural monument since 2009. Nowadays there is a market every Sunday morning in July and August, which attracts many tourists.
  • Among the houses of the notables, the following stand out: Maison du Sénéchal (House of the Seneschal ), Maison de Verdilhac , Maison de l'Échauguette (House with the crowd's watchtower ) and Maison du Chevalier de Béon . The Maison du Sénéchal is located at 2, Rue Saint-Hilaire and has been a French cultural monument since 1996.
  • The Mortemart Moth has been a French cultural monument since 1979.

  • Carmelite monastery

  • Market hall

  • Altarpiece of the Augustinian Church

  • Wooden sculpture of the choir stalls

Web links

Commons : Mortemart  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mortemart on Les plus Beaux Villages de France (French)
  2. ^ A b Dominique Auzias: Le Petit Futé Limousin . Ligugé, 2011, p. 205.
  3. ↑ Entry no. PA00100395 in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  4. ↑ Entry no. PA00100396 in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  5. ↑ Entry no. PA00100397 in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  6. ↑ Entry no. PA87000032 in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  7. ↑ Entry no. PA87000002 in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  8. ↑ Entry no. PA00100398 in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)