Ségur-le-Château, a noble medieval and judicial town

Yes, another village listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France, and therefore not far from our Terre Gaillarde!

Discover a place between stone and water, where as soon as you arrive you are greeted by the trickle of the river Auvézère winding through the centre of the village. You'll be amazed to see the remains of the castle perched on a rocky outcrop. "Ségur" means " safe place ", and the "robins", the men of the cloth of the time, did everything in their power to make this place a stronghold. And they didn't stop there, building two bridges in the 13th century to extend the village and enable it to cross from one bank to the other of the loop formed by the Auvézère!

5 good reasons to visit Ségur-le-Château

Discover the village, dotted with historical interpretation panels produced by the Pays d'Art et d'Histoire Vézère Ardoise and the Friends of Ségur.
Admire the church with its contemporary stained glass window by artist Vincent Corpet depicting the torture of Saint Léger - the village's patron saint - and its highly expressive Christ.
Take part in Painters' Day and its major painting competition, "Street painters are partying", in mid-August. Unleash your inner artist!
Attend the black-bottomed pig festival - a very tasty local species, Gaillard's word! - every year on the first Sunday in August.
Enjoy the local farmers' markets every Monday during the summer season.

Ségur-le-Château, rich in history

Viscounty of Limoges stronghold

It all began in the 9th century, when the Duke of Aquitaine established the first viscount's house in response to the invasions of the Normans. It was during this same period that the castle was built, the remains of which you can admire today.

In the following century, Guy, son of the first Viscount of Limoges, married Emma, daughter of the Viscount of Ségur. Ségur then became part of the Viscounty of Limoges and, in a way, "the place to be" along with Comborn, Ventadour and Turenne, the four other Viscounties of the Lower Limousin.

A royal court of justice

From the 15th to the 18th century, appeals against local and seigniorial court rulings were heard before they were eventually brought before the Royal Parliament! This was known as the Court of Appeals, the equivalent of our current appeal courts. Thanks to this privileged status, Ségur quickly developed into a prosperous town where magistrates, lawyers, notaries and other noble people gathered.

A village of remarkable homes

Take a stroll through Ségur and you'll be amazed by the number of prestigious, historic homes that dot its narrow streets. The logis tour Saint-Laurent and the tour du Guet and Henri IV houses are fine examples. With their turrets, half-timbering, spiral staircases and monumental fireplaces, they are a legacy of the town's rich judicial past.

And if you continue your walk by climbing up to the remains of the castle, you can discover the remains of the keep and the Notre-Dame chapel, as well as a Renaissance house.

What to see around Ségur-le-Château

Ségur is ideally situated close to other remarkable sites. Why not take the opportunity to discover them too?

The Pompadour National Stud.
Hautefort Castle.
Saint-Robert, also listed as one of France's Most Beautiful Villages.

Practical information

Where is Ségur-le-Château?

The village of Ségur lies on the borders of the Dordogne and Haute-Vienne departments, less than 50 km from Brive, on the road to Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche. It takes around 55 minutes to drive from Brive.

A warm welcome from the team at the Pays de St-Yrieix Tourist Office

During the summer season, there are a number of events on offer, including guided tours, night-time and dramatised walks and exhibitions. You can also follow a video-guided tour of Ségur's heritage.

Further information: Office de Tourisme Intercommunal du Pays de Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche - 58 Bd de l'Hôtel de Ville - 87500 Saint-Yrieix - 05 55 08 20 72.

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