Argentat () is a former

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 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 ...

region of central

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune

Argentat-sur-Dordogne Argentat-sur-Dordogne (, literally ''Argentat on Dordogne'') is a commune in the department of Corrèze, south-central France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2017 by merger of the former communes of Argentat (the seat) and Saint-Baz ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Argentacois'' or ''Argentacoises''

Geography

Argentat is situated on the river

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is name ...

, 30 km south-east 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 Cat ...

, 30 km east by south-east of Brive-la-Gaillarde, and some 15 km south-west of Saint-Privat. Access to the commune is by road D1120 from Saint-Chamant in the north-west passing through the town and continuing south-east to Montvert. The D980 goes from the town north-east to Saint-Privat. The D12 goes south-west from the town to Brivezac. The D33 branches off the D1120 east of the town and goes south to La Chapelle-Saint-Geraud. The D169 goes west from the town to Neuville. The D18 goes north-east from the village and continues north to Saint-Martin-la-Meanne. The D131 branches off the D18 and goes north to Saint-Bazile-de-la-Roche. The D129 goes north-east to the Barrage du Chastang. The D116 goes south from the town to connect to the hamlets of L'Hopital and Les Etables. Apart from the large town area the commune is mostly forest with some farming north and south of the town.Google Maps
/ref> The

flows through the town and the commune from north to south with the Maronne flowing through the commune from the east and joining the Dordogne at the south-western corner of the commune. At the northern border of the commune the Doustre flows into the Dordogne. Several other streams flow into the Dordogne in the commune including the ''Ruisseau du Laie''.

Neighbouring communes and villages

History

Argentat lies on the border of three regions,

, Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, although it officially lies within the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It also lies on the river Dordogne below some deep gorges with tumultuous water. This location makes the town of some importance due to the bridges crossing the Dordogne and the important river traffic to Bergerac and

Libourne Libourne (; oc, label= Gascon, Liborna ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Ém ...

. Since Gallic times a village perched on a nearby hill, the Puy-du-Tour, has controlled the ford on a

protohistoric Protohistory is a period between prehistory and history during which a culture or civilization has not yet developed writing, but other cultures have already noted the existence of those pre-literate groups in their own writings. For example, in ...

way connecting

Armorica Armorica or Aremorica (Gaulish: ; br, Arvorig, ) is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul between the Seine and the Loire that includes the Brittany Peninsula, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic Coast ...

to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

. A

Roman villa A Roman villa was typically a farmhouse or country house built in the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, sometimes reaching extravagant proportions. Typology and distribution Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) distinguished two kinds of villas n ...

was established on the plain of Longour, a farming-oriented area, close to the Dordogne. In

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...

times there was a

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...

to facilitate trade. Under the Carolingians, Argentat was the seat of a vicariate - a territorial division under the authority of a count with a priest administering justice. From the 10th century Argentat is known to have had a priory and a priest in a walled city. The town depended on a religious lord, the Prior of Carennac, and a lay lord, the Viscount of Turenne. Guarding his rights the Viscounty did not grant any charter of liberties and the local community had to be content until, in 1615, parish trustees were appointed to manage it. However, from 1263, the Turennes conceded an important market on the Saint Andrew's day to the town which is the oldest fair in Lower Limousin. Argentat sided with the

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

in the

Wars of religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

which created a troubled situation for half a century. In the 17th century, with the Counter-Reformation and the subsequent establishment of the

Recollects The Recollects (french: Récollets) were a French reform branch of the Friars Minor, a Franciscan order. Denoted by their gray habits and pointed hoods, the Recollects took vows of poverty and devoted their lives to prayer, penance, and spiri ...

and the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...

around 1633 and the

Ursulines The Ursulines, also known as the Order of Saint Ursula (post-nominals: OSU), is an enclosed religious order of consecrated women that branched off from the Angelines, also known as the Company of Saint Ursula, in 1572. Like the Angelines, they ...

in 1637, the struggles gradually subsided. With the annexation of Viscounty to the Crown in 1738, Argentat became the seat of a sub-delegation of the management of Limoges. The town experienced significant economic growth in the 18th and 19th centuries from

Inland navigation Inland navigation, inland barge transport or inland waterway transport (IWT) is a transport system allowing ships and barges to use inland waterways (such as canals, rivers and lakes). These waterways have inland ports, marinas, quays, and wharfs. ...

scow A scow is a smaller type of barge. Some scows are rigged as sailing scows. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, scows carried cargo in coastal waters and inland waterways, having an advantage for navigating shallow water or small harbours. S ...

s, which were known locally as ''courpet'', that allowed the delivery of goods (mainly

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

staves for cooperage and carassonne-stakes for grapevines) to the

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

region. This activity began to decline at the end of the 19th century following the outbreak of phylloxera, which devastated the vineyards, and the inauguration of the PO Corrèze railway between

and Argentat in 1904 (this line remained in operation until 1970).

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Twinning

Argentat has twinning associations with: *

Bad König Bad König () is a town and resort ('' Kurort'') in the central Odenwald in the Odenwaldkreis (district) in Hesse, Germany, 29 km southeast of Darmstadt. Geography Neighbouring communities Bad König borders in the north on the communiti ...

(Germany). * Rural community of

Sakal ''Sakal'' ( Marathi: सकाळ, meaning "Morning") is a Marathi-language daily newspaper by Sakal Media Group, its headquarters established in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Sakal is the flagship newspaper of the foundation publication, Sakal M ...

(Senegal).

Demography

In 2012 the commune had 3,005 inhabitants.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

There are four sites in the commune that are registered as historical monuments: *The Eyrial Manor at Rue Theil (1457) *The Barns/Stables next to the hospital (18th century) *The Grave de Roland

Menhir A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be found ...

at La Marque (

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

) *The Chateau du Bac (16th century). The façade is from the 18th century and the dovecote from the 16th century. ;Other sites of interest *The

is an impressive sight and flows beneath a viaduct, ''Le Pont de la République'', linking the north and south sections of the town. *Heritage House contains a Painting: Portrait of Antoine Veilhan (1650) which is registered as an historical object. *The Boatmen's cross *The Lestourgie Masonry Pier from the 19th century with a beautiful promenade on the right bank of the Dordogne. *The Hotel de Turenne (the "Raymondie") at 13 rue des Clarisses *The Rue Porte-Basse *The Birthplace of General Delmas *The Filliol house (16th century), formerly the post office *The Barrage d'Argentat (Argentat Dam) *The Cinema (formerly a hospice) contains a Bronze Bell (1525) which is registered as an historical object.

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint Peter contains many items that are registered as historical objects: *Container for Baptismal water (18th century) *A White

Chasuble The chasuble () is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian churches that use full vestments, primarily in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. In the Eastern ...

(19th century) *A Rose

(19th century) *A

Chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. R ...

with

Paten A paten or diskos is a small plate, used during the Mass. It is generally used during the liturgy itself, while the reserved sacrament are stored in the tabernacle in a ciborium. Western usage In many Western liturgical denominations, the p ...

from the White Penitents (1806) *A Sideboard door in the Sacristy (18th century) *2 Busts/Reliquaries: Saints Clair and Peter (18th century) *The

Pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

of the

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 ...

of the Virgin (18th century) *A framed Painting: Calvary (18th century) *The

of the

of the main

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 ...

(1753) *Containers for holy oil (1752) *A

with

(18th century) *A Processional Cross (disappeared) (16th century) *A Bronze Bell (1538) *A Processional Cross (13th century) *A

(18th century) ;Other religious sites of interest *The

Convent, founded in the early 17th century. *The Convent of the

at 7 Rue des Clarisses *The Chateau Neuville, also known as ''Chateau Fénelon'' *The Chapelle-aux-Plats, a former parish merged with the commune of Argentat. Its chateau belonged to a branch of the Pestels family *The Fortified Chapel built in the late 19th century on Rue des Clarisses

Notable people linked to the commune

* Antoine Guillaume Delmas (1766-1813), General 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, killed in action at the Battle of Leipzig *Eusèbe Bombal (1827-1915), historian of Argentat, ethnologist, local archaeologist, precursor of Limousin folklore *Auguste Lestourgie (1833-1885), Mayor of Argentat and MP for Corrèze *Jean Douvisis, (1866-1926), creator of the agricultural associations of France. *René Caillier (1879-1946), politician * Emmanuel Berl (1892-1976), journalist, historian and essayist, stayed in Argentat during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Mireille Hartuch Mireille Hartuch (30 September 1906 – 29 December 1996) was a French singer, composer, and actress. She was generally known by the stage name "Mireille," it being a common practice of the time to use a single name for the stage. Biography Mirei ...

(1906-1996), singer and actress with the stage name ''Mireille'', lived at Argentat with her husband Emmanuel Berl * René Teulade (1931-2014), politician. Senator and Mayor of Argentat, former Minister of Social Affairs and Integration

Philately

A postage stamp worth 4.40 francs portraying the Lestourgie dock and beautiful renovated houses in Argentat was issued on 18 June 1994. Description on French Wikipedia

Cinema

Several movies and TV series have been shot in the commune. In particular: *1995: TV series ''

La Rivière Espérance ''La Rivière Espérance'' is a French TV series, 9 episodes of 90 minutes each, directed by Josée Dayan based on the novel by Christian Signol and shown in 1995 on France 2. Synopsis 1832, Périgord : Benjamin and Marie are two childhood frien ...

'' by Josée Dayan

Argentat Photo gallery

File:Argentat 2.JPG File:Argentat 1.JPG File:Courpet à Argentat.jpg, A scow or ''courpet'' File:Pont dordogne argentat.jpg, Bridge over the Dordogne File:Argentat quai.JPG, Argentat Quay File:Dordogne argentat rive droite.jpg, Dordogne right bank File:277 Argentat La Dordogne.JPG File:Argentat - Pont Henri-IV.jpg, Henry IV Bridge File:278 Argentat Quais de la Dordogne.JPG, On the Quay File:Argentat, May 2006.jpg File:ArgentatLinkesUfer.jpg File:ArgentatKolleg.jpg, School File:ArgentatFischerhaeuser.jpg File:La Dordogne (986966164).jpg, Stone Bridge File:La Dordogne (986966062).jpg File:Voilier (997218934).jpg, Weathervane File:Ancienne gare d'Argentat.jpg, Old Railway Station File:Ombres sur la ville (1005056900).jpg, Stone roofs File:Bad König partnera urbo Argentat.jpg, Sign in Bad König with distance to Argentat. ;The Church of Saint Pierre File:ArgentatKircheStPierre.jpg File:Argentat (19) église St Pierre 4.jpg File:Argentat (19) église St Pierre 5.jpg File:Argentat (19) église St Pierre 1.jpg File:Argentat (19) église St Pierre 3.jpg File:Argentat (19) église St Pierre 2.jpg

References

External links

Argentat Optique website

Argentat official website

Community of Communes of Pays d'Argentat website

Argentat on the National Geographic Institute website

Argentat on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Argentat'' on the 1750 Cassini Map
{{authority control Former communes of Corrèze Lemovices Limousin Populated places disestablished in 2017