Haute-Vienne is the department of the historic Limousin region, a land of porcelain, enamel and tapestry, of which Limoges has been the world capital since the Middle Ages. Limoges porcelain, made from kaolin from the deposits at Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, has brought Limousin craftsmanship to the fore across the globe, from royal tables to museums of decorative arts.
The castle heritage of Haute-Vienne is closely linked to the history of the Viscounts of Limoges and Turenne, powerful lords who ruled Limousin for centuries from their granite fortresses. Châlus-Chabrol, the castle where Richard the Lionheart met his death in 1199 whilst besieging the Viscount of Limoges, is one of the department’s most historically significant sites. Rochechouart, whose castle houses an internationally renowned contemporary art museum set in a medieval setting, Montbrun, Lastours, Coussac-Bonneval…
Oradour-sur-Glane, the village that suffered a tragic fate on 10 June 1944, whose ruins are preserved as a memorial, bears witness to another aspect of the Haute-Vienne’s heritage: the painful memory of the crimes of war, preserved so that no one may forget.