Curemonte

Curemonte (French pronunciation: [kyʁmɔ̃t]; Limousin: Curamonta) is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France. It is a medieval village characterised by its three castles. In a fortified position on a ridge overlooking a valley on both its eastern and western flanks, the village has historically had a strategic importance in the area. Curemonte is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. Its inhabitants are called Curemontois.

Curemonte
Commune
The Château des Plas, in Curemonte
Coat of arms
Location of Curemonte
Curemonte Show map of France Curemonte Show map of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Coordinates: 45°00′00″N 1°44′27″E
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Corrèze
Arrondissement	Brive-la-Gaillarde
Canton	Midi Corrézien
Intercommunality	Midi Corrézien
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Nelly Germane[1]
Area 1	8.83 km2 (3.41 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	212
• Density	24.0/km2 (62.2/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	19067 /19500
Elevation	143 m (469 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Toponymy

The name for Curemonte is derived from low Latin Cura montis meaning a location used for an operating estate that's on a mountain or hill.^[2]: 25

History

The existence of Curemonte is confirmed from as early as 860 when it was mentioned in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Beaulieu.^[2]: 25 Rodolphe de Turenne, Archbishop of Bourges, had donated the village of Saint-Genst and its vineyards at Curemonte to the Abbey of Beaulieu.^[2]: 25

It was in the 11th century that the village flourished, passing through the Viscounts of Turenne.

Geography

Location

The municipality of Curemonte is located at the southern end of the department of Corrèze.

Map of the commune.

Physical geography

The village of Curemonte is built on a ridge line that overlooks the valleys of the Sourdoire and the Maumont.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	311	—
1975	248	−3.18%
1982	231	−1.01%
1990	203	−1.60%
1999	225	+1.15%
2009	213	−0.55%
2014	216	+0.28%
2020	208	−0.63%
Source: INSEE[3]

Places and monuments

• It is ranked among the most beautiful villages in France.
• It has three castles:
  • Châteaux de Saint-Hilaire et des Plas;^[4]
  • Château de la Johannie.^[5]
• It has three churches:
  • Church of Saint-Barthélemy du Bourg;
  • Church of Saint-Hilaire de la Combe: 11th Century Romanesque church, one of the oldest in the department, which was probably built on Merovingian foundations;
  • The church of Saint-Genest: former parish church, now a Museum of Religious Art.

• 
  Châteaux de Plas et de Saint-Hilaire.
• 
  Church of Saint-Barthélemy.
• 
  Church of Saint-Hilaire de la Combe.

See also

• Communes of the Corrèze department