Curemonte

Location: In the south of the department of Corrèze, close to Collonges-la-Rouge.
Restaurants and shops: A hotel/restaurant in the centre of the village, open in summer.
Market: A farmers' market between 4pm and 8pm on Wednesdays in July and August.
In a nutshell: The small, quiet village of Curemonte is home to three 14th and 15th century châteaux, three 12th century churches, six or seven 'noble houses', a hall, and various rural houses, all beautifully preserved, proof of its great importance in medieval times.

Habitation at Curemonte has been traced back as far as the gallo-romans (1st to 4th centuries AD), followed by the Merovingiens (481-751 AD) then, later still, the first seigneurs, one of whom, Raymond de Curemonte, went to the crusades in 1097 with the Viscount of Turenne. In the 14th century a former priory became the only female-run commanderie in France, dependant on the Order of Malta. There is no trace of these buildings today but it is known that the present day mairie stands on the site.

The village posseses three chateaux. The two impressive chateaux in the village centre are surrounded by the same wall and have been owned by the same families since the 17th century. The chateau of Saint-Hilaire, with square towers, is the oldest and was built at the end of the hundred years' war. The chateau of Plas, with round towers, was built in the middle of the 16th century only a few metres from its neighbour. In 1940 they were owned by Bel Gazou, the daughter of the famous French writer, Colette. The smaller chateau of Johannie next to the market hall dates from the beginning of the 15th century. Its high window, decorated in Renaissance style, is a masterpiece.

The 'noble houses' surrounding the chateaux, recognisable by their stair towers and carved relief around the doorways, date from the 16th century and belonged to the officers who served the lords of Curemont.

The main church of the village originally dates from the 12th century. It has been modified over the centuries and fully restored recently. Two other churches are at La Combe (11th century) and St Genest, 1.5 km from Curemonte. La Combe is open from Easter to All Saints Day and holds various exhibitions. The church at St Genest was built in the 12th century by Benedictine monks. The parish was linked to Curemonte after the French Revolution. Once its restauration is completed, it will become a religious museum. Until then, you can admire the remarkable altar piece and pulpit and beautiful wall-paintings dating from the 15th century.

	A distant view of the village
	The village with its impressive chateaux
	Chateau de Plas
	The main street, leading to the church
	The imposing tower of the privately owned Chateau de Plas
	Chateau of Saint-Hilaire in its gardens, occasionally open to the public in summer for special cultural events and exhibitions