Turenne, Corrèze
Encyclopedia
Turenne is a commune
in the Corrèze
department in the Limousin
region in central France
. It is characterised by its height and unique position on top of a cliff.
It is one of the most beautiful villages of France
(along with 148 others, including neighbouring Loubressac
, Autoire
, Curemonte
and Carennac
). It also has a well-known castle.
The fiefdom of Turenne occupied a territory bounded by three provinces and three bishoprics. Part of the Périgord Noir (Black Périgord), the fiefdom was adjacent to Lower Limousin and Quercy. It controlled the transfer of livestock between the plateaus of Quercy and Limousin, At its largest in the 15th century, it spanned from around Meymac or Lapleau to the north-east, Terrasson to the west, and Gramat to the south. At that time, the major fortified cities of the Viscount were Argentat, Servieres, Beaulieu, Gagnac, Martel, Saint-Cere, and Turenne; other walled cities included the bastides of Bretenoux and Puybrun, the cities of Carennac, Vayrac, Curemonte, Meyssac, and Collonges. There are now about 100,000 inhabitants in the entire region, divided into 18,500 "feux", 111 parishes, 1200 villages, and many monasteries.
Turenne has seen a succession of four families of Viscounts. From the 9th century to the thirteenth, the Comborn, from the valley of the Vézère (and who had actively participated in the Crusades and Anglo-French wars) obtained extensive privileges from the kings of France. Then, during the first half of the 14th century, the Viscounty was taken over by the Comminges, Pyrenées feudal lords, before being transferred for 94 years to Roger de Beaufort from which came two Popes of Avignon, Clement VI and Gregory XI. This family had two Viscounts: Roger William III of Beaufort and Raymond de Turenne XIII, and two viscountesses names Antoinette de Turenne and Eleonore de Beaujeu. Then, from 1444 to 1738, the Viscounty became the possession of the family of La Tour d'Auvergne. In their heyday, Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, co-religionist and companion-at-arms of King Henry IV, became Duke of Bouillion and prince of Sedan. His son Henry, Marshal of France, received the nickname "The Great Turenne."
Under La Tour d'Auvergne, the Viscounty lasted until the Reformation. Calvinism was spread by the boatmen of the Dordogne throughout the region. In 1575, after St. Bartholomew, Henri de la Tour engaged with Henri of Navarre and Turenne became a hotbed of religious wars and disorders of the Fronde.
On 8 June 1738, Turenne was sold to Louis XV to pay the gambling debts of Charles Godfrey, the last of the Viscounts of La Tour d'Auvergne family. Thus ended the quasi-independence of this last French stronghold. The Viscounty's subjects became subjects of Louis XV and were forced to pay taxes. The king also ordered the dismantling of the fortress of Turenne. As of the Revolution, Turenne was more like a seat of a royal provost.
Under the French Revolution, to follow a decree of the Convention, the town changed its name to Mount Franc (the name was restored to Turenne in ??).
Turenne is classified as one of The Most Beautiful Villages in France.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Corrèze
Corrèze
Corrèze is a department in south central France, named after the Corrèze River.The inhabitants of the department are called Corréziens or Corréziennes according to gender.-History:...
department in the Limousin
Limousin (région)
Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
region in central France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is characterised by its height and unique position on top of a cliff.
It is one of the most beautiful villages of France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France is an independent association, created in 1982, which aims to promote assets of small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage...
(along with 148 others, including neighbouring Loubressac
Loubressac
Loubressac is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France....
, Autoire
Autoire
Autoire is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France....
, Curemonte
Curemonte
Curemonte is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France.It is a medieval village characterised by its three castles. In a fortified position on a ridge overlooking a valley on both its eastern and western flanks, the village has historically had a strategic importance in the...
and Carennac
Carennac
Carennac is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France.Carennac belongs to the historical region of Quercy.A village lies in the fertile valley of the Dordogne River, nestled under the barren, parched plateau locally named 'le Causse'...
). It also has a well-known castle.
Geography
Turenne sits atop the Martel Causse, a limestone formation which now supports rich forests as well as intricate caves. The region is quite hilly, and is cut through by the Dordogne and Vézère rivers, which provide nearby activities like canoeing.Economy
The local economy is primarily agricultural, with a fair amount of tourism. The region is known for its excellent produce, including walnuts, mushrooms, truffles, and foie gras.History
The first lords of Turenne appeared in the 9th century. The town became a veritable feudal state after the Crusades and one of the great fiefs of France in the 14th century. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, the viscount of Turenne had complete autonomy. Until 1738 the sheriffs, despite honoring the French king with simple tributes, were free of taxation and acted as true sovereigns; convening the Estates General, raising taxes, coining money, and ennobling. The Viscounty formed a state within a state. Thus, when the king banned tobacco (introduced in Aquitaine in 1560), the measure did not apply in the viscounty.The fiefdom of Turenne occupied a territory bounded by three provinces and three bishoprics. Part of the Périgord Noir (Black Périgord), the fiefdom was adjacent to Lower Limousin and Quercy. It controlled the transfer of livestock between the plateaus of Quercy and Limousin, At its largest in the 15th century, it spanned from around Meymac or Lapleau to the north-east, Terrasson to the west, and Gramat to the south. At that time, the major fortified cities of the Viscount were Argentat, Servieres, Beaulieu, Gagnac, Martel, Saint-Cere, and Turenne; other walled cities included the bastides of Bretenoux and Puybrun, the cities of Carennac, Vayrac, Curemonte, Meyssac, and Collonges. There are now about 100,000 inhabitants in the entire region, divided into 18,500 "feux", 111 parishes, 1200 villages, and many monasteries.
Turenne has seen a succession of four families of Viscounts. From the 9th century to the thirteenth, the Comborn, from the valley of the Vézère (and who had actively participated in the Crusades and Anglo-French wars) obtained extensive privileges from the kings of France. Then, during the first half of the 14th century, the Viscounty was taken over by the Comminges, Pyrenées feudal lords, before being transferred for 94 years to Roger de Beaufort from which came two Popes of Avignon, Clement VI and Gregory XI. This family had two Viscounts: Roger William III of Beaufort and Raymond de Turenne XIII, and two viscountesses names Antoinette de Turenne and Eleonore de Beaujeu. Then, from 1444 to 1738, the Viscounty became the possession of the family of La Tour d'Auvergne. In their heyday, Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, co-religionist and companion-at-arms of King Henry IV, became Duke of Bouillion and prince of Sedan. His son Henry, Marshal of France, received the nickname "The Great Turenne."
Under La Tour d'Auvergne, the Viscounty lasted until the Reformation. Calvinism was spread by the boatmen of the Dordogne throughout the region. In 1575, after St. Bartholomew, Henri de la Tour engaged with Henri of Navarre and Turenne became a hotbed of religious wars and disorders of the Fronde.
On 8 June 1738, Turenne was sold to Louis XV to pay the gambling debts of Charles Godfrey, the last of the Viscounts of La Tour d'Auvergne family. Thus ended the quasi-independence of this last French stronghold. The Viscounty's subjects became subjects of Louis XV and were forced to pay taxes. The king also ordered the dismantling of the fortress of Turenne. As of the Revolution, Turenne was more like a seat of a royal provost.
Under the French Revolution, to follow a decree of the Convention, the town changed its name to Mount Franc (the name was restored to Turenne in ??).
Population
Heritage
- The tower of César (12th century) and the Clock Tower (14th century), vestiges of the former fortress.
- The church with its altar from the 17th century.
- The village, with houses from the XIIIth through the 17th centuries
- Several noble houses
Turenne is classified as one of The Most Beautiful Villages in France.