commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Corrèze
Corrèze (; oc, Corresa) is a department in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ...
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
in the
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by t ...
region of central
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Allassacois'' or ''Allassacoises''
The commune has been awarded three flowers by the ''National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom'' in the ''Competition of cities and villages in Bloom''.
Geography
Located in the Brive Basin, the commune of Allassac is irrigated by three major rivers in the north-south direction: the
Vézère
The Vézère (; oc, Vesera) is a 211-km-long river in southwestern France. It is an important tributary to the Dordogne. Its source is in the northwestern part of the elevated plateau known as the Massif Central. It flows into the Dordogne near ...
and its tributaries the Loyre and the Clan which is a sub-tributary of the
Corrèze
Corrèze (; oc, Corresa) is a department in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ...
.
Allassac, like many surrounding communes, is part of Vézère Ardoise Country and benefits from the label ''
French Towns and Lands of Art and History Since 1985, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication has pursued a policy of preserving and promoting France's heritage. Historic towns and districts have been designated ''Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire'' ("Towns and Lands of Art and H ...
''.
The town of Allassac is located at the intersection of departmental roads D9, D25, D34 and D134.
Allassac station
Allassac is a railway station in Allassac, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The station is located on the Orléans–Montauban railway line. The station is served by Transport express régional, TER (local) services operated by SNCF.
Train services
T ...
on the
Orléans–Montauban railway
The railway from Orléans to Montauban is an important French 544-kilometre long railway line, that connects Orléans and northern France to Montauban and southern France via Limoges. The railway was opened in several stages between 1847 and 1893, ...
line has rail connections to Brive-la-Gaillarde, Uzerche and Limoges. It is located, in orthodromic distances, 6 kilometres east of
Objat
Objat (; oc, Ajac) is a commune in the Corrèze department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The inhabitants are called Objatois and Objatoises.
Geography
Fifteen kilometres north-west of Brive-la-Gaillarde, the municipality of Objat is located in t ...
and 12 kilometres north-west of
Brive-la-Gaillarde
Brive-la-Gaillarde (; Limousin dialect of oc, Briva la Galharda) is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture and the largest city of the Corrèze department. It has around 46,000 inhabitants, while the population of the agglomeration was 7 ...
.
The commune is also served by departmental roads D57, D148, and D901.
Four kilometres to the south-east, the
A20 autoroute
The A20 autoroute or L'Occitane is a highway through central France. A part of France's national network of autoroutes, it is long.
Regions Crossed
The road travels through the areas of Occitania, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. It starts at Vi ...
allows direct access to Allassac through Exit 48.
Hamlets
Apart from the town the commune has the following hamlets:
*La Bessiere
*Les Borderies
*Brochat
*La Chapelle
*La Chatroulle
*Le Colombier
*La Croix Saint-Joseph
*L'Escurotte
*Eyzac
*La Faurie
*Garavet
*Gauche
*Laujour
*Montaural
*La Pialeporchie
*Les Placeaux
*La Plaine de Garavet
*Le Pont Salomon
*Le Pos Delpy
*Le Puy
*Les Rebieres Blanche
*La Roche
*Le Saillant d'Allassac
*Le Saillant Vieux
*Verdier
*Verdier-Bas
*Verdier-Haut
Google Maps /ref>
;Le Saillent
In Latin ''aqua saliens'' meaning "leaping water". The name evokes the rapids and a cascade into a deep gorge. It was called ''ad illo Salente'' in 904.
Neighbouring communes and villages
Toponymy
Allassac is derived from the
Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...
word ''Alaciacus'' (the estate of ''Alacius''). The first mention in the form ''Allassac'' was in the will of ''
Aredius
Aredius (c. 510–591), also known as Yrieix and Saint Aredius, was Abbot of Limoges and chancellor to Theudebert I, King of Austrasia in the 6th century. He founded the monastery of Attanum, and the various French communes called St. Yriei ...
'' (Saint Yrieix). He called it ''Alaciaco'' in 947.
The village is identified as ''Alassac'' in the ''Grand Atlas of the kingdom of France'' established by
Johannes Blaeu
Joan Blaeu (; 23 September 1596 – 21 December 1673) was a Dutch cartographer born in Alkmaar, the son of cartographer Willem Blaeu.
Life
In 1620, Blaeu became a doctor of law but he joined the work of his father. In 1635, they publish ...
in the 17th century then in the ''
Cassini map
The Cassini Map or Academy's Map is the first topographic and geometric map made of the Kingdom of France as a whole. It was compiled by the Cassini family, mainly César-François Cassini (Cassini III) and his son Jean-Dominique Cassini (Ca ...
'' which represented France between 1756 and 1789. It was then ''Allassat'' until the beginning of the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
before the final appearance of the current name in 1801.
History
Image:Allassac demeure ancienne (1).JPG,
Image:Allassac demeure ancienne (2).JPG,
The site of La Roche was inhabited as early as the
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
period as evidenced by the
Racloir
In archaeology, a racloir, also known as ''racloirs sur talon'' (French for scraper on the platform), is a certain type of flint tool made by prehistoric peoples.
It is a type of side scraper distinctive of Mousterian assemblages. It is created ...
s and
Stone tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric (particularly Stone Ag ...
s found in the area.
When it was occupied by the Romans Allassac already had several
slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
quarries that allowed rapid development of the town.
In 572 Saint Yrieix and his mother donated a farm and forges to Allassac which was part of
Yssandon
Yssandon (; Limousin: ''Eissandon'') is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Corrèze department
The following is a list of the 279 communes of the Corrèze department of France
...
Country. In the
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
period there was already a fortified complex with a church and a house belonging to the abbots of
Limoges
Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...
as well as a stately home.
In 864 the relics of the Holy Innocents were transported to Allassac to protect them from
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
invaders.
In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
Allassac became a lordship of the
Abbey of Saint-Martial
The Abbey of Saint Martial (french: Abbaye Saint-Martial, Limoges; Limousin: ''Abadiá de Sent Marçau de Limòtges'') was a monastery in Limoges, France, founded in 848 and dissolved in 1791.
The buildings were razed at the beginning of the 19th ...
of
Limoges
Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...
. This was a co-lordship belonging among others to the Roffignac family who were called the "first Christians of Limousin".
In the 14th century the town had a second enclosure with 17 towers, 8 gates, and 6 castles. The Bishopric fought to protect its territory.
In the 16th and 17th centuries Allassac expanded due to the activities in the
slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
quarries and food curing despite several sieges. In 1569, Henry d'Anjou spent a few days in the commune with his armies. In 1580 Allassac was the fourth largest city in Lower Limousin (today's Corrèze current). The number of fortified noble houses was increasing.
In 1790, Allassac was briefly the capital of the canton before giving way to
Donzenac
Donzenac () is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France.
Geography
Commune of the urban area of Brive-la-Gaillarde located in the Massif Central on the national road N20, 10 km north of Brive-la-Gaillarde.
Perched on an out ...
in 1801.
In 1870 the population was 4,200 inhabitants and for over a century slate mining remained an important industry. The farmers were also slate miners but
phylloxera
Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs ...
ended this dual economy. The farmers then turned to fruit and tobacco cultivation while developing slate quarries with the new opportunity to ship to Paris by train.
Heraldry
Administration
List of Successive Mayors
;Mayors from 1941
Population
Economy
Fruit-growing is well-developed in the commune, especially the ''Limousin apple'' ( AOP), the
peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...
, the
plum
A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes.
History
Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found i ...
, and the
kiwifruit
Kiwifruit (often shortened to kiwi in North American, British and continental European English) or Chinese gooseberry is the edible berry of several species of woody vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' ...
.
A vineyard called ''Coteaux du Saillant - Vézère'' has been replanted on five hectares on
schistose
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes o ...
soil. Allassac was famous for its vineyards until the end of the 19th century through the Saillant wine cellar. The most common
varietals
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
,
merlot
Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...
, and
cabernet franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...
.
The breeding of Limousin breed calves raised by their mothers is also a common activity.
File:Cave Vailant vezere.jpg, The Coteaux du Saillant-Vézère wine cellar at a place called ''La Jugie'' (Saillant d'Allassac)
File:NectarinesBreuil310710 (3).jpg, Growing of
nectarine
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fuz ...
s and
peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...
es
File:Breuil pommiers060411 (10).jpg, Apple Orchard
File:Vignes du Saillant d'Allassac.jpg, Coteaux du Saillant-Vezere near La Chartroulle
File:Taureau_de_race_limousine.jpg, A Limousin bull
File:LeBouchailloux100910 (44).jpg,
Limousin
Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...
cows at rest
File:Allassac SaillantVieux200910 (40).jpg, Old wine press
Cinema
In 1962 a scene for the film ''Le Chevalier de Pardaillan'' by
Bernard Borderie Bernard Borderie (10 June 1924 in Paris – 28 May 1978 in Paris) was a French film director and screenwriter. His father, Raymond Borderie, was one of the producers of ''Children of Paradise, Les Enfants du Paradis'' (''Children of Paradise'', 1945 ...
was filmed at ''Pont du Saillant''.
Sports
Volleyball: 3 teams are registered in the ''Union française des œuvres laïques d'éducation physique'' (UFOLEP) (mixed)
Culture and heritage
Civil heritage
The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:
*The Ecole des Tours Manor (15th century) houses a collection of 600 Roman and medieval weapons and armour as well as a forge for making weapons called "la Bombard" which was the last edge tool making activity in France
*The Tour de César (Caesar's Tower) (12th century) with a height of 30 metres is all that is left of the ancient fortifications. It is made of
slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
and
gneiss
Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures an ...
. The battlements were added in the 15th century. This is one of the few round towers from the Middle Ages in Limousin.
*The old Saillant Bridge over the Vézère (16th century)
;Other sites of interest
*The Chateau of Lasteyrie is a noble house from the 19th century at Saillant
*Le Saillant, a village traversed by the
Vézère
The Vézère (; oc, Vesera) is a 211-km-long river in southwestern France. It is an important tributary to the Dordogne. Its source is in the northwestern part of the elevated plateau known as the Massif Central. It flows into the Dordogne near ...
and shared between the communes of Allassac (The Saillant of Allassac left bank) and Voutezac (right bank).
*The Gorges and waterfalls of the Clan near the ''Three Villages''
*The La Roche Site where
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
rocks outcrop. It has an
orientation table
A toposcope, topograph, or orientation table is a kind of graphic display erected at viewing points on hills, mountains or other high places which indicates the direction, and usually the distance, to notable landscape features which can be seen ...
and offers a wide panorama of the Cirque du Saillant.
*At Garavet there is swimming and fishing in the
Vézère
The Vézère (; oc, Vesera) is a 211-km-long river in southwestern France. It is an important tributary to the Dordogne. Its source is in the northwestern part of the elevated plateau known as the Massif Central. It flows into the Dordogne near ...
Religious heritage
*The Church of the
Decapitation
Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...
of Saint John the Baptist (12th century). is registered as an historical monument. The tower was fortified in the 14th century during the
Hundred Years War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...
. It has remarkable baroque furniture consisting of three altars and a pulpit. These were built by the Duhamel brothers around the year 1680. The central altarpiece (1679) is dedicated to the "sacred Heart of Jesus". That it depicts on one side Christ's Sacred Heart makes it exceptional as that devotion was activated only four years before the creation of the altar after the appearance of Christ to
Margaret Mary Alacoque
Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM (french: Marguerite-Marie Alacoque) (22 July 1647 – 17 October 1690), was a French Catholic Visitation nun and mystic who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form.
Summary
She worked t ...
in
Paray-le-Monial
Paray-le-Monial is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Since 2004 is Paray-le-Monial part of the Charolais-Brionnais Country.
It is nicknamed the "city of the Sacred Heart" an ...
in 1675. The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:
**An
Altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
,
Retable
A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate structur ...
, and 3 Statues (17th century)
**An Eagle
Lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of support. ...
(17th century)
**The whole Main Altar assembly (1679)
**A Painting: Christ on the Cross (1869)
**2 Statues: Saint John the Baptist and Saint Joseph (1679)
**A Group Sculpture: Virgin of Pity (15th century)
**A
Pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
(1681)
*The Chapel of Saint-Férréol is from the 17th or 18th century and is partly in the cemetery in the village of ''La Chartroulle''. The chapel contains two items that are registered as historical objects:
**A Statue: Saint Ferréol (17th century)
**A Group Sculpture: Virgin of Pity (16th century)
*The Chapel of Saint-Laurent from the 13th and 18th centuries in the village of ''Saint-Laurent'' has a gate opening directly onto the cemetery. The chapel contains three items that are registered as historical objects:
**A Statue: Saint Laurent (15th century)
**A Statue: Crowned Virgin and child (17th century)
**A Statue on base: Saint Laurent (17th century)
*The Chapel of Saint-Nicolas of Tolentine was built in 1894 in the village of ''Brochat''. It contains three items that are registered as historical objects:
**A Statue: Saint Nicolas of Tolentino (17th century)
**A Statuette: Virgin and child (15th century)
**A Group Sculpture: Virgin of Pity (1554)
*The Chapel of Saint-Roch from the 16th and 19th centuries in the village of ''Gauch'' contains two items that are registered as historical objects:
**A Group Sculpture: Saint Roch speaks to the rich (17th century)
**A Group Sculpture: Saint Roch speaks to the poor (17th century)
*The Chapel of Saint-Marguerite was built in red sandstone from the 13th to the 18th century at the village of ''La Chapelle''. It contains a Statue on base: Crowned Virgin and child (17th century) which is registered as an historical object.Ministry of Culture, Palissy
Picture Gallery
Image:Allassac tour César (3).JPG,
Image:Allassac manoir des Tours (6).JPG,
Image:Allassac église (5).JPG,
Image:Allassac chaire.JPG,
Image:Allassac chaire détail (12).JPG,
Image:Allassac église chapelle Notre-Dame vitrail (2).JPG,
Image:Allassac église nef (2).JPG,
Image:Allassac église (3).JPG,
Image:Allassac Brochat (1).JPG,
Image:Allassac Brochat (3).JPG,
Image:Allassac la Chapelle (2).JPG,
Image:Allassac la Chartroulle (4).JPG,
Image:Allassac Gauch (3).JPG,
Image:Allassac Gauch (4).JPG,
Image:Allassac St Laurent (4).JPG,
Image:Allassac St Laurent (8).JPG,
File:Montée des eaux.jpg,
File:050611 018.jpg,
File:010810 (11).jpg,
Notable people linked to the commune
*
Raynaud de La Porte
Regnaud de La Porte (Raynaud) (died 1325) was a French bishop and Cardinal. He was born in Allassac.
He became bishop of Limoges in 1294, and archbishop of Bourges in 1316. He was a papal commissioner enquiring into the Knights Templar, 1309 ...
, Cardinal Bishop of Ostia (+1325)
*Aymard de Foucauld, (1824-1863), an officer of the French Army
*Élie Dufaure, (1824-1865), Doctor of Laws,
Lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
at the Imperial Court of Paris.
*The Lasteyrie du Saillant family:
**Charles Philibert de Lasteyrie
**Ferdinand Charles Leon Lasteyrie
**Robert Charles de Lasteyrie
**Charles de Lasteyrie
*Georges Mamy, (1921-1997), journalist and writer, was born in Allassac.
*Jean-Louis Lascaux, Knight of the National Order of Merit, director of the ''Centre médico-psycho-pédagogique'' (CMPP) of
Tulle
Tulle (; ) is a commune in central France. It is the third-largest town in the former region of Limousin and is the capital of the department of Corrèze, in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Tulle is also the episcopal see of the Roman Catho ...
and the director of the same at Brive unifying the fifteen towns of the Country of Art and History into ''Vézère Ardoise''
*Aurélien Beco, born in 1986, rugby player originally from Allassac
*Bertrand de Chanac