Paris1972-Versailles2003

Another town not yet in my blog but of many memories that me think needs to be here. This is another small village in my road warrior trips of my belle France. There is a nice anecdote and will tell you a bit on Masseret. Hope you enjoy it as I.

The town of Masseret is located in the Corrèze department no, 19, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It is crossed by the A 20 highway which connects Vierzon to Montauban. It is served by exit/sortie 43 (we took and lunch).

The anecdote on this town is that we were coming home from Toulouse and decided to take the scenic toll free route. As the driving time are longer, and my oldest just gotten his driving license, I asked for him to do his first long drive on the road. He did well and drove for 4 hours! giving me lots of rest. Now I have a helper once again in the family; and proud to do so for his dear late Mom Martine. I , of course, a proud father!

A bit of history I like tell us the Châtellenie de Masseret came under the Viscount of Limoges and its fate was linked to the family of the Viscounts of Limoges and with the marriage of Marie de Limoges the last Viscountess with Arthur II of Brittany passed into the House of Brittany, then Penthièvre, Albret and Bourbon. Alain d’Albret married in 1470 Françoise de Bretagne of the House of Blois.

Some of the things to see here are:

The Sainte-Catherine d’Alexandrie Church, Built in the 12C, it was last remodeled in 1969 with the replacement of the wooden bell tower by a wall bell tower. The orientation tower, although medieval in appearance, the Masseret tower was built in 1954 and serves as a water tower. It is located on the site of the old feudal castle which, at the top of the hill, made it possible to monitor the passages between Limoges and Brive. Before the construction of the tower, a majestic beech tree, planted around 1792, symbolically recalled the old castle. It was struck down on February 4, 1946. In the center of Masseret stands a tower on top of which an orientation table has been erected. From there a very beautiful circular panorama is revealed: to the north you can see the Monts d’Ambazac, to the east the Plateau de Millevaches, the Massif des Monédières and, on a clear day, the Monts d’Auvergne. The Rabaud Castle (private), built in the early 16C, this castle has a tower centered on its facade. The feudal mound of Renaudie , in the Middle Ages, this castle mound was used to monitor the passages between Upper and Lower Limousin. It is now integrated and enhanced within the Porte de Corrèze rest area on the A 20 highway where we stop for lunch.

The city of Masseret on its heritage: http://mairiemasseret.free.fr/crbst_6.html

The Pays de l’Uzerche tourist office on Masseret heritage : https://www.uzerche-tourisme.com/d%C3%A9couvrir/les-communes/masseret/

There you go folks, another dandy road warrior trip in my belle France. Driving is heaven and we love the freedom of the road! Hope you enjoy this bit of introduction on Masseret as we.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

I take you back to a memorable town, as you read my blog, this is the native town of my dear late wife Martine’s late father Pierre.  Of course, we have been here several times and plenty of posts in my blog, However, I like to update this off the beaten path part even if it is the tourist office of Lavaur !! Let me tell you a bit about the Round Tower or Tour des Rondes of Lavaur. The Tour des Rondes remains the only vestige still visible from the fortifications of the old town.

It is circular brick tower built before the 12C, it constituted a rampart ensuring, on the south side, the defense of the ditches which led to the Naridelle stream. This deep ravine forced people moving between Toulouse and Castres to cross Lavaur, it was only partially leveled at the end of the 18C, and today is the road to Castres. This tower was thus part of the protective walls during the siege of Lavaur by Simon IV de Montfort and the Albigensian Crusade against Catharism.

Very damaged, the Tour des Rondes was completely renovated in 1627, giving it its contemporary structure, notably the openings for musketry. It was baptized “Executioner’s Tower” in the 19C as it is under this name that it appears in an alignment plan of the city of 1809, undoubtedly in reference to the guillotine which was preserved in Lavaur during the French revolution, before being moved to Castres.

It became property of the town of Lavaur in 1826 and served from the 1830s as a public slaughter of pigs, after the withdrawal of authorization for individual slaughter in the city, and until a municipal slaughterhouse was built   in 1871 in the Saint-Roch district. Other works were carried out in June 1879, when it contained utensils of public weight, and the Round Tower was entrusted to the Philharmonic Society. New repairs were carried out between 1986 and 1988. The Tour des Rondes currently houses the Lavaur Tourist Office (since April 1, 1992) and an art exhibition hall.

It is about 5 minutes walking from the traffic circle at the end of allée Jean Jaurés towards the Tour des Rondes along Quai la Tour des Rondes street. And what webpage to give you for it? Well you know it is the tourist office of Lavaur!

The Lavaur tourist office on its heritage : https://www.tourisme-tarnagout.com/d%C3%A9couvrir-et-visiter/cath%C3%A9drale-lavaur/

The city of Lavaur on its heritage : https://www.ville-lavaur.fr/votre-ville/visiter-lavaur/patrimoine/#.XiBg_v5KjIU

There you go folks, a nice walk down away from the off the beaten path even if it is the tourist office , its not in the city center but in the ramparts not far from the halle aux grains(see post), Hope you enjoy the post on the tour des rondes of Lavaur, and do stop by !

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!