Place de la Motte

Follow Place de la Motte’s evolution in the heart of Limoges, from the creation of its feudal motte to the construction of its large covered market.

Limoges was made up of two urban cores during the Middle Ages : “la Cité” around the cathedral, and the upper town with Saint-Martial abbey and the viscountcy motte. These two neighbouring towns were protected by ramparts and were often rivals. They were united after the French Revolution. The square where you are standing gets its name from the defense system established here around the year 1000: a feudal motte. The fresco on one of the walls represents a “motte” which is an artificial mound, crowned by a watchtower, overlooking a barnyard, where Limoges’s viscount lived. From the 13th century onwards, a new, larger building was edified. La Motte became ponds which were to be the city’s water supply. This is when the town’s butchers began to settle down below la Motte : they used the running water to dispose of their garbage. The ponds were dried up in the late 18th century, and what was left became a market area. Today’s large covered market was inaugurated 1889.
One century later, whilst a carpark was being dug, archaeological searches revealed much of the neighbourhood’s history.

Other stages
  • Place de la Motte

    Follow Place de la Motte’s evolution in the heart of Limoges, from the creation of its feudal motte to the construction of its large covered market.

  • Les halles centrales

    Limoges’s covered market is a local gourmet hotspot. Notice its remarkable Eiffel-inspired architecture and learn about how it was built.

  • Place Barreyrette

    Welcome to the Butchers’ Quarters ! This used to be an interior courtyard where livestock was kept before being butchered.

On the same topic
Thematic
Space and public life