Curemonte

Curemonte (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. Its inhabitants are called Curemontois.

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.

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

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

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

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

Places and monuments

 * It is ranked among the most beautiful villages in France.
 * It has three castles:
 * Châteaux de Saint-Hilaire et des Plas;
 * Château de la Johannie.
 * 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.