Nexon

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Nexon
Nexon Coat of Arms
Nexon (France)
Nexon
region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department Haute-Vienne
Arrondissement Limoges
Canton Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche
Community association Pays de Nexon-Monts de Châlus
Coordinates 45 ° 41 ′  N , 1 ° 11 ′  E Coordinates: 45 ° 41 ′  N , 1 ° 11 ′  E
height 295-446 m
surface 40.79 km 2
Residents 2,539 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 62 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 87800
INSEE code 87106
Website http://www.nexon.fr

Nexon is a town of 2,539 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the French department of Haute-Vienne in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine . Nexon belongs to the canton of Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche in the arrondissement of Limoges .

geography

A large part of the 40.79 km² municipal area is agricultural land. In addition to the main settlement, which is surrounded by forest areas in the south and northwest, there are numerous hamlets in the municipal area of ​​Nexon. Nexon is on the edge of the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park .

history

In 1569, Duke Wolfgang von Pfalz-Zweibrücken led a mercenary army from Alsace through Burgundy and central France to the Limousin in order to assist the French Huguenots under Prince von Condé in the Third Huguenot War. Duke Wolfgang died during the campaign in the field camp in Nexon. His body was transferred to Meisenheim in 1571 .

During the German occupation of France in World War II, there was a smaller assembly camp ("center de regroupement" or "center de séjour surveillé") in Nexon for foreign Jews arrested by the police (étrangers indésirables - undesirable foreigners) and for republican refugees from Spain Civil war. Some of these people were later deported to Auschwitz and Treblinka concentration camps for extermination. In 1943, prisoners from Camp de Gurs also came to Nexon.

Castle from Nexon

The Castle of Nexon has a 40-hectare landscaped park. It was created in the mid-nineteenth century by Paul de Lavenne de Choulot , landscaper, for Baron Astolphe Nexon. It is open to the public as the municipality has acquired the property. The area is completely surrounded by a stone wall. Count Choulot's park planning took into account the surrounding landscape, equestrian sports and agricultural activity in the area. The park consists of a well-tended section near the castle and in a rural part of a huge forest area with mostly native plant species. The fairways are lined with rhododendrons and azaleas. Different elements embellish the park: a river, a waterfall with a pond in the forest and numerous rocks. On the corner of a large driveway is the park's chapel (nineteenth century), which still belongs to the family of Astolphe Armand Hippolyte Baron de GAY de NEXON (1817–1876). The landscaped park around the castle, like Nexon Castle, was built in the seventeenth century and remodeled in the nineteenth century. It is now the town hall. There is a pigeon house, a fountain, an orangery and stables near the castle. They testify to the renowned equestrian past (stud farm in the sixteenth century, the birthplace of the Anglo-Arab race, stables and horse races).

Gay de Nexon Stud

Baron Astolphe Nexon (1817–1876) established the Gay de Nexon stud, among other things. Around 1840 he had the idea of ​​crossing English and Arab horses and thus created the legendary Anglo-Arab horse breed. At this time the great age of horse racing began. The horses of this Nexon became very successful. In 1928, Ironwood Nexon inherited the properties and land. Little by little, the unprofitable horse breeding was given up. In 1983 he sold Nexon Castle to the city. In 1990 he sold his last mare. This ended 500 years of his family's history and horse breeding in the village of Nexon.

Regional center for circus arts

Nexon is a regional center for circus arts and has had a permanent marquee at the castle since 2001. It is open all year round with free access: free self-guided tour and 2 euro tour (children under 12 years free), tours in summer.

traffic

Nexon is located on railway line 4 of the Transport express régional Limousin , which leads south to Bordeaux and north to the capital of the Limousin region, Limoges .

The place is on the Richard Löwenherz tourist route ( French Route Richard Cœur de Lion ), which runs through four departments from Chassenon to Lubersac .

Web links

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

notes

  1. ↑ 750 prisoners, 450 of them Jews in November 1942, see web links, Présence de Laurette Monet, Doc. 2