Le Dorat

Le Dorat

Collegiate church of Le Dorat

Coat of arms
Le Dorat

Coordinates: 46°12′58″N 1°04′56″E / 46.2161°N 1.0822°E / 46.2161; 1.0822Coordinates: 46°12′58″N 1°04′56″E / 46.2161°N 1.0822°E / 46.2161; 1.0822
Country France
Region Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department Haute-Vienne
Arrondissement Bellac
Canton Le Dorat
Intercommunality Basse Marche
Government
  Mayor (20082014) Philippe Jardel
Area1 23.77 km2 (9.18 sq mi)
Population (2006)2 2,020
  Density 85/km2 (220/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 87059 / 87210
Elevation 177–271 m (581–889 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Le Dorat (Occitan: Le Daurat) is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in western France. It is considered to be the traditional capital of the Basse Marche. Inhabitants are known as Dorachons. Some say that Le Dorat owes its name to the gilded angel located at the summit of the "Lou Dora" bell tower.

Geography

The town is located 50 km north of Limoges. The river Brame forms part of the commune's northwestern border. There is one SNCF train station on the line Limoges-Poitiers that connects the town to Paris.


History

In the year 950, missionaries reconstructed a church dedicated to the Saint Michel. 20 years later, the Saint Pierre chapel and the chapitre du Dorat were founded near the church Saint Michel.

Le Dorat was a town of nobility and property oweners. In 1356, the town was besieged by the Prince of Wales and during the European wars of religion from 1524 to 1648, the town was badly damaged. [1]

Sights

Le Dorat is an ancient town, with fine examples of Romanesque architecture, especially the 11th Century Collegiate of Saint-Pierre.

Events

There is plenty to do all year round with horse racing events in June, July and August; a national horse show in September; sound and light show; craft days; Christmas market as well as concerts, tennis, cinema, fishing, sailing and windsurfing.[2]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Le Dorat.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, February 04, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.