Viscount of Limoges

Between Limoges, Brive and Périgueux the Vicomte S of Limoges, known as also Viscounts of Ségur created a small principality to which the last heir was Henri IV. The Viscount of Limoges known as also Viscount of Ségur (Ségur being the main home of the Viscounts in the middle of their field) passed from the family of Limoges-Ségur to that of Brittany, then in Blois-Brittany, Albret and finally with the Bourbons (see the Liste of the Viscounts of Limoges) .

Their territory included/understood the castles of Ségur, Excideuil, Aixe on Vienna, Auberoche and Nontron. It extended on the current departments from High-Vienna, the Dordogne and Corrèze.

The castle of Ségur

Built in one Auvézère shingles, with the limit of the parishes of Saint-Eloi, Saint Julien, Payzac and Beyssenac, the site is naturally defensive. The verteil (district of the Milites castri, the knights defenders of the castle) of Ségur was the residence of the Pérusse (future dukes of the Bus), of Bonneval (futures marquis of Bonneval, of which the famous pasha) of the Provost (become of the Farmhouse, future marquis of Paysac).

The high castle is in ruin. Only the hotel of Pérusse in the verteil remains today. Does not visit itself (December 2006)

The castle of Excideuil

There formerly remain two grosses towers united by a wall screen pinion of the aula. The principal home (XVIe or XVIIe century?) was doubled in width at the beginning XXe. Side city, the verteil of militate castri presents towards outside a beautiful door rebirth.

The castle of Aixe

The immense fortress extended since the rocky outcrop dominating the junction from Aixette and Vienna to the district from Bourgneuf, of the defensive towers were even on the edges of Aixette. Original castle, there remains only some sections of wall which dominate the trunk road and the two bridges.

The castle of Thiviers

See article Thiviers

The castle of Auberoche

detailed Article: Castle of Auberoche.

The successor of the bishop Frotaire, founder of the castrum, would have proceeded to the infeodation of the place in favor of the Vicomte of Limoges, probably towards 1037,1059, in order to acquire the protection of this laic potentate against the count de Périgord.

The Viscount of Limoges recognizes, for Auberoche, the bishop of Périgueux like his suzerain as of the last third of the 12th century (1154-1157). By the episcopal infeodation, the Viscount of Limoges extended his domination to the doors of the episcopal see and comtal Périgourdin. It is on this basis of support that was exerted and was maintained with the doors of Périgueux the political power and economic of the Viscounts of Limoges. The castle became the center of a châtellenie which included in its spring 16 parishes in 1365 and controlled in its ends two large convergent currents of circulation towards the Périgueux city, by the valley of Auvézère and the valley of the Manor.

The judicial and administrative power was ensured on the extent of the district by an agent of the Viscount of Limoges, provost, was attested as of September 1257.

The rocca castri constituted a point of anchoring for a quota of miles whose presence inside its walls is announced at the beginning of the 12th century century. They are the probable ancestors of these chivalrous chalk-linings which will be at the origin of a blossoming of sowing of habitats, around their strong houses, in the spring of the châtellenie. The establishment of these residences the damoiseaux one or knights of parishes, undoubtedly results from a policy of concession of strongholds with load from homage-liege. These feudal tenures took a hereditary feature and were transmitted by the rule of primogeniture.

The castle of Nontron

to see too

List of the Viscounts of Limoges

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