Uzerche (; ) is a commune in the Corrèze department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of central France.
In 1787, the English writer Arthur Young described the town as "the pearl of the Limousin" because of its picturesque setting. Built on a defensible rocky outcrop in an oxbow of the river Vézère, and located at a medieval crossroads, Uzerche has a long cultural heritage. Under Pepin the Short, the city was the seat of an influential abbey and a seneschal. Uzerche still has many castles, hotels, and other buildings displaying turrets built by the Uzechoise nobility, thus adding weight to the saying "He who owns a house in Uzerche has a castle in the Limousin." In 1996 Uzerche was awarded "village étape" status and, since 2010, has been listed among the towns of France to be worthy of a "plus beaux détour".
Name
The name Uzerche may date as far back as Roman times. Taken by the Romans in 51 BC, it was the last place where the Gauls fought against Julius Caesar. The first clear proof of the name dates to the seventh century AD, when the town was known as Usarca. In 848 the name became Usercensium, and in 1190 Uzercha. Between the 15th and 18th centuries the name evolved from Usarche to Userche and eventually to the current spelling.
Location
Uzerche is located in west-central France, on the west flank of the Massif Central. Both the rivers Bradascou and Vézère, with their sources in the plateau of Millevaches, pass through Uzerche and feed into the Dordogne. The Plateau de Millevaches (a thousand springs), not far from Uzerche, is a natural wetland with its many streams and lakes, forest and heathland. It is 500– 900 meters above sea level with its highest point Mont Bessou (976 meters above sea level). Uzerche is a hill town, built above a deeply incised meander of the Vézère River; as such it is a natural citadel. The construction of the gardens along the Vézère, supported by little walls, are as noteworthy as the town's unique position and particular architectural features. As the rocky ground originally made it unsuitable for agriculture, the view of the lower part of the town is dominated by flowers, orchards and vegetable gardens.
History
Strategic location
By the 2nd century BC, Gauls had taken advantage of the strategic location of present-day Uzerche—on high ground surrounded by a river—and established a settlement there. The site overlooks the nearby hill of Saint Eulalie, a place of pilgrimage dedicated to the 3rd-century Spanish martyr Saint Eulalie. Since before Roman times, Uzerche was situated at the intersection of two trade routes: one connecting Brittany with the Mediterranean Sea, the other allowing people to cross the river Vézère. The importance of this crossroads during antiquity is evidenced by the presence of a castra, or small fortification. Between the 5th and 8th century AD the town developed as an important administrative, religious, and political centre. Due to its defensible location, the town was able to resist many attacks through the centuries. After being looted and destroyed by Visigoths in the 6th century, it was rebuilt in the 7th century with a fortified perimeter wall that enhanced its defenses. In the 8th century, a Saracen force defeated by Karel Martel attacked and besieged Uzerche during their retreat. The siege lasted seven years, but the Saracens ultimately gave up after a last desperate action by the inhabitants. On the point of starvation, they had fattened up the last two of their cattle with the last of their food. They then chased the animals out of the town towards the besiegers. The Saracens, upon seeing the animals, concluded that the city was too well provisioned for them to waste any more time trying to starve them out. To the present day two bulls can be seen on the coat of arms of Uzerche as a reminder of the siege. After the siege against his half-brother Waifer, Pepin the Short, King of the Francs (751- 768), was convinced of the strategic importance of Uzerche and had no fewer than eighteen towers built in the town, the most impressive being Leocaine, which was established as a royal residence.
Frankish fortress to the Abbey of Saint Pierre
A castrum (fortress) was intended to be a centre for all decisions: military, political and religious. The administrative function of the fortress at Uzerche is verified in the 7th century by the gold coins of that date minted there. Coins continued to be minted there until the 9th century. Uzerche also had an important religious role, with its own curate, as part of the territorial administrative sub-division of the authority of the Count of Limoges. Politically it was the capital of the Gallic-Roman area surrounding it.