Guéret (; Occitan: ''Garait'') is a commune and the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

of 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 in the

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...

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.

Geography

Guéret is a light industrial town, the largest in the department, with a big

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

and some farming not far from the town centre. It is approximately by road northeast of

Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , 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. Situated o ...

at the junction of the D942, D940 and the N145 roads.

History

Guéret grew up round an abbey founded in the 7th century. In later times it became the capital of the County of La Marche.

Population

Sights

*The church of St. Pierre and St. Paul, dating from the thirteenth century. *The Hotel de Moneyroux (incorrectly called "Castle of the Counts of Marche", as no

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

ever lived in Guéret). This building, of Gothic style, was constructed in the fifteenth century by Antoine Allard (1839-1896). It is now the headquarters of the General Council of the Creuse. It can be visited during public holidays. *The Presidial, dating from the seventeenth century. This building houses the town hall. *The Museum of the Sénatorerie. Partly built in eighteenth century, the building served as the residence of senators under Napoleon. Since 1832, the Society of Archaeological and Natural Sciences of the Creuse, one of the oldest learned societies of France has been housed here. It brings together natural history collections and works of art. In 1907, the Hotel de la Sénatorerie museum was surrounded by a park and trees. *The war memorial. *The seventeenth-century chateau of Sainte Feyrer, built on the foundations of a castle from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, of which there are some remains. The building of the eighteenth century was constructed by the architect Brousseau. It has an elegant staircase and the oratory is classified as a historical monument. * A vast permanent

labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...

is located south of Guéret. *Courtille lake, a recreation area south of Guéret, is an artificial lake along a shaded path. With a circumference of about 3 km, it is used for sports and leisure (running, sailing, walking) or picnicking on the grass. *Chabrières forest is large and stretches south of Guéret. It includes: A zoo, where one can see

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

in semi-liberty in large enclosures. Opened in 2001, it is a noted site in the field of protection of this species. There are some huge natural monoliths, such as "la Pierre Grole" linked to local myths and legends and some old granite quarries, once used mainly for cobblestones of the streets of Paris.

Climate

Guéret has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfb'') influenced by its elevation and proximity to the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...

's maritime inflow of

Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east near 36°N latitude (North Carolin ...

air. As a result, the climate is mild for its latitude, wet and also relatively gloomy.

Personalities

* Antoine Varillas, a historian, was born here in 1624. * Marcel Jouhandeau (1888–1979), writer, was born here. * Madeleine Chapelle (1782–1849), the wife and model of painter Dominique Ingres.Biographie de Madeleine Chapelle
/ref> * Georges Pludermacher (born 1944), classical pianist *

Pierre Michon Pierre Michon (born 28 March 1945 in Châtelus-le-Marcheix, Creuse) is a French writer. His first novel, ''Small Lives'' (1984), is widely regarded as a genuine masterpiece in contemporary French literature. He has won several prizes for ''Smal ...

(born 1945), writer, spent his childhood here. * Pierre Petit (born 1957), racing driver

International relations

Guéret is twinned with: Stein, Bavaria, Germany since 1991 and Puck, Poland

References

External links

Official town website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gueret Communes of Creuse Prefectures in France County of La Marche