Dorat

Dorat (in Occitan Daurat ) is a common French, located in the department of the High-Vienna and the area the Limousin. Its inhabitants is called Dorachons.

Geography

History

The Foundation

Dorat was called originally “Scotorum” of the Scottish name of the missionaries who about the year 950 there built or probably rebuilt, a church dedicated to Saint Michel. It is only one score of years later that Boson the Old man, first count of Walk, founded, close to Saint Michel, a vault Saint Pierre and a chapter of 20 canons illustrated at the 11th century by Israel and Théobald become the protective saints of Dorat. The collegial one was rebuilt after the fire of the year 1060; the large bell-tower, overcome gilded angel was completed only at the beginning of XIIIe century. The counts of Walk had as of this time a castle in Dorat; it was located at the highest point of the city. About the middle of XIe century, they built a very important castle-extremely, apart from the city; castle which was destroyed during the wars of religion; a public garden currently recovers the ruins of them.

The turbulent Middle Ages

In August 1356, the army of Prince Noir seized Dorat. It is it which, going up on Poitiers, delivered a few days to it after the disastrous battle where king Jean the Good was made prisoner and the killed count of Walk. The king Charles V took again possession of Walk in 1370, but in 1405, Dorat fell again to the hands from the English. The garrison of the making castle of many exactions in the city and the country, the seneshal of Walk had in 1423 to promise thousand ecus of gold to its commander so that it evacuates the area. The following year, to put safe from new invasions, the abbot of Dorat, Guillaume the Hermit, undertook the construction of fortifications all around the city. The church Saint Michel and Saint Pierre were included in the fortifications and a tower of defense was even built on one of the vaults of the church Saint Pierre.

Destroying wars of religion

The Wars of religion did not save Dorat. The November 2nd 1567, after a three day old seat, the city was taken by a troop of 15.000 Huguenots under the orders of the Lord of 83 years old Saint-Cyr military school. Four hundred men were killed and 3.600 books of ransom last being versed; plundering lasted four days, the church was ransacked, of many relics and burned ornaments, the organ and destroyed statues. The passages of troops, rançonnements and exactions of all kinds continued until the middle of the 17th century: in 1576, it was the army of the Admiral Coligny, that of the League in 1576 and still in 1585; this year there, the insecurity was such as the large annual fair of Thursday of the Festival God had to be held in the cemetery apart from the city whose doors were prudently closed. May 5th, 1589, an army of 4.000 men, sent by the king Henri III and ordered by the duke of Montpensier, began again after some blows of guns, the castle of Dorat occupied since several years by the Members of a league, Montpensier granted at once to Dorachons the permission to shave this fortress, whose presence was for them the cause of continual worries. That did not prevent the Members of a league from returning to besiege Dorat in 1591, but without success. In writing of the king Charles IX of January 1st, 1561, Dorat was indicated like legal and capital chief town Low-Walk which was made up of seven châtellenies. It extended on 111 parishes, including 27 in the current department of Vienna, 19 in Charente and 2 into Hollow. Another edict of 1572 created a secondary seat with Bellac for the châtellenies of Bellac, Rancon and Champagnac (in all 21 parishes) which were controls by the statute law, while the four others châtellenies were subjected to the common law. This new edict, to attest the supremacy of Dorat, specified that the general Lieutenant could go to hold the plaids of Bellac one or twice each year. The court of the seneschalsy of Dorat was installed in 1572 in the old church Saint Michel. This church was with the current site of the visiting rooms of Carmel.

Dorat, always religious city

In 1624, three nuns bénédictines of the Trinity of Poitiers came to found a house in Dorat. Among them was Catherine Pidoux, aunt of the Fountain; she died in 1662 66 years old, and had contributed in 1656 to the opening, in their house, of a public school and free of girl who functioned until the imprisonment into 1792 of the 22 nuns of this convent. After the Revolution, a small seminar, which became very brilliant, settled in the room of the old nuns, but due to disperse after the despoiling law of 1906. However, since 1910, a college of young girls came to take the changing and perpetuates still nowadays, and in the same house, the foundation into 1656 of Pidoux sister.

Ostensions

Ostensions of St Israel and St Théobald have been celebrated every seven years for more than three centuries without interruption. These years, the relics of these saints are carried with great solemnity through the streets of the city; important delegations of all the parishes of the area, often with allegorical groups and men-at-arms, take part in the procession. These folk religious holidays and, always very popular, attract each time of considerable crowd in Dorat. The Ostentions last took place in 2002.

Heraldic

Weapons of the city of Dorat:

1°) “ Of mouths, with two dice of money passed in saltire . ” (Malta-Brown, in illustrated France , volume V, 1884)

2°) “ Of azure, with three flowers of gold lily, with the lowered band of mouths, charged with three money lions. ” (Malta-Brown, illustrated France , volume V, 1884)

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

One can see remainders of the fortifications still there in particular the door Bergère with his machicolations, some Renaissance houses, but principal curiosity is the Collégiale Saint-Pierre .

Collegial the Saint-Pierre

Imposing Romance church , of Granite gray, built in the shape of Latin cross, at the 12th century; it surpend by its gigantism (77 meters of length and 39 meters with the transept). It was fortifée at the 15th century what gives him a massive character.

the Western gate is multifoil, testifying to an influence Mozarabe, that brings a merry note to the severity of the frontage.
the bell-tower is octagonal, on three floors unequal heights. It is surmounted by a slim and decorated arrow of gilded a copper angel dating from the 13th century
the interior: While entering by the Western gate, one must descend twelve steps from a monumental staircase. The transept is deep and carries on each arm a absidiole. The chorus is elevated, it includes/understands a déambulatoire decorated with three radiating chapels, two of enter they contain the mountings of Saint Israel and Saint Théobald.
the crypt: It dates from the 11th century and is dedicated to Sainte Anne, one reaches it by the right-hand man of the transept, it extends under the chorus.

At the bottom of the nave a large baptismal tank is préromane.

Personalities related to the commune

Illustrations

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