Aubusson (; Occitan auvergnat: ''Le Buçon'', formerly ''Aubuçon'') is a commune in the

Creuse Creuse (; or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the east, Cor ...

department

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

in central

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Geography

Aubusson is situated in the southern part of the ''département'', at the confluence of the rivers

and Beauze. The route nationale N141 goes through the town.

History

Local lore previously held that the community was settled by defeated

Berbers Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arab migrations to the Maghreb, Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connec ...

following the 8th-century Battle of Tours, but it is now established that Aubusson has existed at least since the

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...

period. The Camp des Châtres, within the town's boundaries, for a long time considered a Roman fort, actually dates back a little further, to the Iron Age. The town was known as ''Albuciensis'' in 936 and under the name '' Albuconis'' in 1070. The name possibly originates from a name of a man, Albucius Other scholars claim the name is from a

Celt The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...

ic word meaning '' craggy''. In the Middle Ages the town was ruled by

viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...

s. The vicecomital family also produced a troubadour named Joan d'Aubusson.

Tapestry

Aubusson is well known for its tapestry and carpets, which have been famous throughout the world since the 14th century. The origins of this craft date to the arrival of weavers from

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

, who took refuge in Aubusson around 1580. There is a famous collection of Aubusson tapestries at Vallon-Pont-d'Arc. The style of the tapestries produced has changed through the centuries, from scenes of green landscapes through to hunting scenes. In the 17th century, the Aubusson and Felletin workshops were given "Royal Appointment" status. A downturn in fortunes came after the French Revolution and the arrival of wallpaper. However, tapestry made something of a comeback during the 1930s, with artists such as Cocteau, Dufy, Dali, Braque, Calder and Picasso being invited to Aubusson to express themselves through the medium of wool. Aubusson tapestry still thrives today, preserving a range of traditional skills. In 1983, ''l’Atelier Raymond Picaud'' chose Burhan Doğançay's Ribbon Series as a tapestry subject. Coventry cathedral's famous ''Christ in Glory'' tapestry, designed by artist Graham Sutherland, was woven in nearby Felletin. Installed in 1962, this was the world's largest vertical tapestry up until the 1990s.

Population

Sights

Musée Départemental de la Tapisserie

Created in 1981, the museum exhibits nearly 600 years of tapestry creation and production. This rich collection is composed of 17th, 18th and 19th century tapestries and carpets. As well as works from the museum's own collection, there are also regular exhibitions of tapestries from around the world, showcasing works right up to the present day.

Centre Culturel Jean Lurcat, Avenue des Lissiers

Maison du Tapissier

This is a permanent exhibition that is held in an ancient Creusois house in Aubusson. The interior tells the history and traditions of tapestry as well as showing furniture of the period.

Historical buildings

* The Clock Tower * The old town (ancient buildings) * Sainte-Croix church * Ruins of the chateau (also called le Chapitre) * The Vallenet House

Rulers

In the medieval period, Aubusson was a vicomté ( fr) which is similar to the English vice-county. Its rulers were: *Ranulf I ?-934 *Robert I 934-942 *Renaud I 942-958 (son of Ranulf I) *Ranulf II Cabridel 958-1031 *Ranulf III 1031-1060 *Renaud III 1060-1069 *William I 1069-1106 *Renaud IV 1106-? *Renaud V The Leper ?-1185 *Guy I 1185- ? *Renaud VI ?-1249 *Ranulf V 1249-c. 1265 *William II (heir) 1263, lord of La Borne, La Feuillade, Monteil-au-Vicomte, Poux, Pintarion and Damoiseau (1317), started a noble line that continued with his son Renaud VIII (1317–1353) and his successors. Around 1263/1266 the vice-county was sold to the count of La Marche.

Notable people

* Jules Sandeau (1811–1883), member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

* André Jorrand (1921–2007), composer and organist

International relations

Aubusson is twinned with: * Eguisheim, France *

Assen Assen () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in ...

, NetherlandsJumelage "en sommeil".

Climate

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{authority control Communes of Creuse Subprefectures in France County of La Marche