Wandering around Saint-Junien, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. A taste of this interesting town

Описание: We visited Saint-Junien (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France) in March 2023. A lovely attractive town with three areas to explore namely the upper town where the magnificent Collegiale Church of Saint Junien is situated, then down to the Bridge of Notre-Dame and finally the 12th Century Bridge of Sainte-Elisabeth.

The town of Saint-Junien is in the west of the Haute-Vienne department of Limousin, a short distance north-east of Rochechouart. Since the 15th century the town has been an important centre for glove production, and even today the town is a major producer and exporter of gloves, although Saint-Junien is now better known as one of the official 'entry towns' to the Perigord-Limousin Regional Natural Park.

There are a few places of interest in the town, the most important of which is the Collegiale Church of Saint-Junien. The nave and the transept are the oldest part of the church: these date from the 11th century and are built in the roman style. The remainder of the church dates from the 12th and 13th centuries, except for the main belltower which was rebuilt in the early 20th century. Inside the church a particular feature is the ancient fresco that you can see in the nave, and you can also see the tomb of Saint-Junien and a medieval 'mise au tombeau' sculpture in the Saint-Martial Chapel.

With a simplicity that makes a dramatic contrast to the collegial church, there is a lovely little chapel on the banks of the river at the end of the Bridge of Notre-Dame, and another historic chapel can be seen in the grounds of the town cemetery.

The 12th century Bridge of Sainte-Elisabeth in Saint-Junien is also interesting, and is a narrow bridge (pedestrian access only) with three stone arches in the gothic style that once formed part of an important trade route between Limoges and Saintes.

The walk along the Glane riverside is one of the highlights of your visit to Saint-Junien - a pleasure that can be extended by following one of the trails that depart from here and cross the surrounding countryside.

In the mid 19th century the well known painter Jean-Baptiste Corot often came to a site here on the banks of the Glane river to do his painting. The location is now popular with visitors both because of its association with the artist and because it is in a scenic setting in part of a designated Zone of Natural Interest (for its wildlife).