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Halle de Mortemart en Haute-Vienne

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Halle
Haute-Vienne

Halle de Mortemart

    Place Royale
    87330 Mortemart
Halle de Mortemart
Halle de Mortemart
Crédit photo : Nitot - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1800
1900
2000
Début XVIIIe siècle
Construction of the hall
2009
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The hall in full (cad. AA 178): registration by order of 28 April 2009

Key figures

Louis II de Rochechouart - Duke of Mortemart Initiator of fairs and markets.
Pierre Gauvain - Cardinal of Mortemart Fonda monasteries and college in the 14th century.
Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart - Marquise de Montespan Favorite of Louis XIV, born Mortemart House.

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.

External links