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

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, ...

region in central France.

Geography

Aubusson is situated in the southern part of the ''département'', at the confluence of the rivers Creuse and Beauze. The route nationale N141 goes through the town.

History

Local lore previously held that the community was settled by defeated

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following the 8th-century Battle of Tours, but it is now established that Aubusson has existed at least since the Gallo-Roman 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 pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...

ic word meaning '' craggy''. In the Middle Ages the town was ruled by viscounts. The vicecomital family also produced a troubadour named

Joan d'Aubusson Joan d'Aubusson or d'Albusson ( fl. 1229), known as Johan or Johanet to Occitan contemporaries (''Giovanni'' in Italian), was an Limousin troubadourGérard Gonfroy, ''Les troubadours limousins'', La Geste, La Crèche, 2022. and a Ghibelline. Only t ...

Tapestry

Aubusson is well known for its tapestry and

carpets A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester have ...

, which have been famous throughout the world since the 14th century. Its origins were born with the arrival of weavers from Flanders, 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 Burhan C. Doğançay (11 September 1929 – 16 January 2013) was a Turkish-American artist. Doğançay is best known for tracking walls in various cities across the world for half a century, integrating them in his artistic work. Biography ...

's Ribbon Series as a tapestry subject.

Coventry cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Michael, commonly known as Coventry Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry within the Church of England. The cathedral is located in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The curren ...

'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 its 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 staged 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 secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

André Jorrand André Jorrand (27 November 1921 – 15 December 2007) was a French composer and organist, 1st titular of the Sainte-Croix d'Aubusson church. He was also a magistrate. Career Born in Aubusson, Jorrand was a student of Maurice Duruflé, Roland-M ...

(1921–2007), composer and organist

International relations

Aubusson is twinned with: *

Eguisheim Eguisheim (; german: Egisheim; Alsatian: ''Egsa'') is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies in the historical region of Alsace (german: Elsass). The village lies on the edge of the Ballons des Vosges ...

, France * Assen, NetherlandsJumelage "en sommeil".