Le Dorat

Le Dorat (Occitan: Le Daurat) is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is considered to be the traditional capital of the Basse Marche. Inhabitants are known as Dorachons. Some say that Le Dorat owes its name to the gilded angel located at the summit of the "Lou Dora" bell tower.

Le Dorat
Commune
Collegiate church of Le Dorat
Coat of arms
Location of Le Dorat
Le Dorat
Le Dorat
Coordinates: 46°12′58″N 1°04′56″E
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentHaute-Vienne
ArrondissementBellac
CantonChâteauponsac
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Philippe Jardel
Area
1
23.77 km2 (9.18 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
1,683
 • Density71/km2 (180/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
87059 /87210
Elevation177–271 m (581–889 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

The town is located 50 km north of Limoges. The river Brame forms part of the commune's northwestern border. There is one SNCF train station on the line Limoges-Poitiers that connects the town to Paris.

History

In the year 950, missionaries reconstructed a church dedicated to the Saint Michel. 20 years later, the Saint Pierre chapel and the chapitre du Dorat were founded near the church Saint Michel.

Le Dorat was a town of nobility and property owners. In 1356, the town was besieged by the Prince of Wales and during the European wars of religion from 1524 to 1648, the town was badly damaged.[2]

Sights

Le Dorat is an ancient town, with fine examples of Romanesque architecture, especially the 11th Century Collegiate of Saint-Pierre.

Events

There is plenty to do all year round with horse racing events in June, July and August; a national horse show in September; sound and light show; craft days; Christmas market as well as concerts, tennis, cinema, fishing, sailing and windsurfing.[3] In 2019 le Dorat hosted the World Sheep Shearing Championship.

See also

Further reading
  • (in French) Guillaume Lavaud, Le dossier hagiographique des saints Israël et Théobald du Dorat, "Saint Israël, chanoine de l’An Mil - Etablissements canoniaux, pouvoir épiscopal et seigneuries laïques au temps des premiers Capétiens, Limousin et royaume de France", international colloquium organised by Université de Limoges and the CRIHAM, November 2014, Limoges-Le Dorat, France. Éd. Lavaud, 2020.

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Le Dorat Archived 2008-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Information about the place" Archived 2010-08-31 at the Wayback Machine


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