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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Mortemart Hall, located in Haute-Vienne, is a wooden building from the first half of the 18th century. It was probably built when the fairs and markets were established by Louis II de Rochechouart, Duke of Mortemart. This rectangular building consists of twelve oak poles spread over its long sides, forming a central gangway covered with a hipped roof. Originally, these poles were based on granite bases, now replaced by a stone wall.

The frame, composed of four farms, is supported by sandstones attached to the poles. This type of hall, typical of medieval villages, served as a gathering place for trade and public events. It embodies the economic and social importance of Mortemart, a village classified as Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, marked by its feudal and religious history.

Mortemart, whose history dates back to before the year millet, developed around a feudal motte and a castle built in 995 by Abon Drut. The seigneury then passed to the Rochechouart family in 1205, giving birth to notable figures such as Françoise Athenaïs de Montespan, favorite of Louis XIV. Cardinal Pierre Gauvain, a native of the village, founded several monasteries there in the 14th century, permanently transforming its architectural landscape.

The hall, classified as a Historic Monument in 2009, is now owned by the municipality. It is part of a remarkable heritage complex, alongside the Dukes' castle, the convents of the Augustins and Carmelites, and the church of Saint-Hilaire. These monuments reflect the medieval and classical heritage of Mortemart, between seigneurial power and monastic life.

The village, a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France network, attracts its preserved heritage and rural setting. The hall, located on Place Royale, remains a symbol of the commercial activities that animated the region, between Limousin and Poitou, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

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