The Collégiale Saint-Martin, dating from the 11th century, forms the historic heart of Brive. The Romanesque church played an important role in the urban development of the town. Its archaeological crypt preserves remains of Merovingian and Carolingian churches, sarcophagi, reliquaries, and a 12th-century phylactery.
Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Brive can include this in their own travel plans.
Culture and History
The Collégiale Saint-Martin-de-Brive has been classified as a historic monument in accordance with the 1862 list. Its nave and side aisles have ribbed vaults; a dome on pendentives rises above the crossing. The 13th-century capitals are sculpted with crochets, balls, palmettes, and deer.
The Tour des Échevins is decorated with fine sculptures, arcades, ornamental finials, and carved arabesque foliage in the Renaissance style. Its door knocker depicts a salamander. The remarkable Neo-Renaissance-style grille was made in the 19th century at the foundries of Besançon.
The Hôtel Labenche is a significant example of civil Renaissance architecture in Limousin and has housed the Musée Labenche since 1990.
Museums
The Musée Labenche presents the history of Brive and its region from its beginnings to the present day in 17 permanent exhibition rooms featuring 5,000 objects. Since 13 November 2002, the Musée Labenche has been recognized as a Musée de France under French heritage law. The Musée Labenche preserves more than 65,000 objects or groups of objects from archaeology, fine art, ethnography, crafts and decorative arts, natural sciences, as well as numismatics and sphragistics.
The Musée Michelet offers insights into various aspects of the Second World War in five permanent exhibition rooms.
Getting Around
The Voie verte is a 17-kilometre-long route that crosses Brive-la-Gaillarde along the Corrèze. The walking time is four hours, while it takes two hours by bicycle or mountain bike. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the Voie verte.
Food and Everyday Life
At the Distillerie Denoix in Brive city centre, plants have been distilled, fruits macerated, and green walnuts pressed since the 19th century. The distillery includes a museum open to the public that explains the history of the family business and the production methods used for liqueurs. In July and August, guided tours on Tuesdays to Fridays at 2:30 p.m. may conclude with a tasting.
The food market of the Marché de Brive-la-Gaillarde takes place from 7:30 a.m. at Place du 14 Juillet and beneath the Georges Brassens market hall.
Other Historic Sites
The Chapelle St Libéral was built or rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century. Visits are possible exclusively by prior appointment as part of a guided tour.
Other destinations: Marcouyeux, Vitrac-Sur-Montane, Orgnac-sur-Vézère, Saint-Pardoux-L'ortigier, Gimel-Les-Cascades, Sadroc, Ussel, Meymac
