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LIMOGES   Capital of Limousin
      

                                                                                                                        

Limoges, France, is a small city (also known as a commune) that has the distinction of being the Limousin region's administrative capital. The porcelain industry, the main industry of the city, provides employment for many of the inhabitants of Limoges. The city is most famous for its white porcelain items, shown at many trade shows in Paris. It is located 290 km north of Toulouse, 220 km northeast of Bordeaux and 390 km south of Paris and is crossed by Vienna.

The Limoges Cathedral (or Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Limoges), a national monument of France, is a Roman Catholic cathedral which is Bishop of Limoges' seat. Some noted characteristics of the cathedral include its Renaissance-style loft and partly octagon-shaped bell tower. Other distinctive characteristics within the cathedral are the Renaissance rood screen and the tomb of Bishop Jean de Langeac, complete with sculpted scenes depicting the Apocalypse.

Adjacent to the cathedral is the Municipal Museum (the former Bishop's Palace), featuring Limoges enamels, local history, pictures and Egyptian antiques.

To the east of the cathedral, the eight-arched, 13-century Pont St Etienne can be found and to the west of the cathedral, the old-world Rue de la Boucherie, the location of butcher shops in the Middle Ages, can be found.

A second Limoges museum worth mentioning is the Musee National Adrien Dubouche. Established in 1867, the museum has a large collection of ceramics, including pieces from Limousin, Japan, China and Persia. There is also an enamel workshop at 31 rue des Tanneries, where visitors can learn more about Limoges enamel and enamel-working techniques.

Another attraction worth visiting is the Gallo-Roman amphitheater remains. While the amphitheatre was one of the largest of its kind in ancient Gaul, it was mostly covered with earth during the 1960s. Also, the city's central station (Gare de Limoges-Bénédictins), created in 1929, is an extravagantly designed railway station, and a popular spot for visitors to Limoges.

 Gare Bénédictins
In terms of religious-themed areas to visit, east of the Place de la
République, is the 13th to 14th century St-Pierre-du-Queyroix church, which features choir stalls from 1513, a 14th-century figure of Jesus Christ on display and a 16th-century Pietà. A second church, located west of the church of St-Pierre-du-Queyroix, is the 13th-, 14th-, and 16th-century church of St-Michel-des- Lions. This church features relics of St. Martial, a 15th-century Pietà and late Gothic stained glass.

Another chapel to visit is the The 14th- to 17th-century Chapelle Saint-Aurélien. Featured therein is a 15th-century statue of St. Catherine, carvings of the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus and a baroque altarpiece which displays a painting of the Transfiguration of Jesus in its center. It also contains Baroque works of art, relics from the second bishop of Limoges, St. Aurelian, and has medieval statues throughout.

The center of the city features Place de la Motte (Place of the Hill), the birthplace of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, the famous French painter. This medieval place within the city has on display a "trompe l'oeil" on the walls to commemorate Renoir.


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