Uzerche
Coordinates: 45°25′32″N 1°33′51″E / 45.42555556°N 1.564166667°E
Commune of Uzerche | |
 | |
| Vue d'Uzerche | |
| Location | |
  Uzerche | |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Limousin |
| Department | Corrèze |
| Arrondissement | Tulle |
| Canton | Uzerche (chef-lieu) |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de communes du Pays d'Uzerche |
| Mayor | Sophie Dessus (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 270–441 m (890–1,400 ft) (avg. 333 m/1,090 ft) |
| Land area1 | 23.85 km2 (9.21 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 3,195 (2007) |
| - Density | 134 /km2 (350 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 19276/ 19140 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
 | Please expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French Wikipedia. (January 2009) After translating, {{Translated|fr|Uzerche}} must be added to the talk page to ensure copyright compliance.Translation instructions · Translate via Google |
Uzerche is a commune in the Corrèze department in the Limousin Region of central France.
Contents |
Location
Uzerche is located a few kilometres beyond the western edge of the Plateau de Millevaches. Situated directly on one of France's main north-south routes historically, it is now by-passed to the west by the A20 autoroute.
Uzerche is a hill town, built on a deeply-incised meander of the Vézère River. As such, it is a natural citadel.
Population
At the last census, Uzerche's population was 3,143.
History
Uzerche's history as a fortified town began in the late Roman period. According to legend, Uzerche was evangelised by Saint Martial, the first bishop of Limoges. It remained an important citadel and ecclesiastical centre throughout the Merovingian and Carolingian periods.
A Benedictine abbey was founded in the 9th century. In the 11th century, a major Romanesque abbey church was constructed on the summit of the town. It was consecrated in 1097. With some Gothic additions, this constitutes the abbatiale Saint-Pierre or Abbey Church of St Peter, which commands all views of the town to this day.
As a major route junction and market town, Uzerche continued to grow throughout the medieval period. It became the seat of a royal seneschal and the recognised capital of the lower Limousin.
The mid-18th century saw the construction across the river of a notable bridge, the Pont Turgot, the main approach to the town today. In 1855, a major tunnel improved access along the main north-south route, later the RN20. The arrival of the railway in the late 19th century resulted in the construction of large viaducts and tunnels, some of which have since become redundant and form footpaths from which to view the town.
Another major product of the period is the town's old lycée or grammar school, which was built deliberately alongside the abbey church, in a commanding position above the river, symbolically challenging the old clerical order in the town.
The town today retains a large number of medieval and early modern buildings, all dominated by the ancient abbey, the school and the mairie, arranged around a steeply sloping square, now named the Place de la Libération. It has seen a rapid growth in tourism in recent years.
Gallery
 Vézère river flowing into Uzerche from the south. |  View across Vézère river from city wall, with viaduct clearly visible. |  Crypt of the abbey church. | |
 Pentagonal apse, in characteristic Limousin style, abbey church. |  Decorative panel in Uzerche abbey church, depicting bishop (possible Saint Martial) and apostles. 17th century. |  The old lycée or grammar school building, a landmark in secularization when it was built. |
External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Uzerche |
