AubazinesCommune d'Aubazines (19013), commune actuelle, INSEE (; ), also spelled Aubazine, is a commune in the Corrèze department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of central France.
Geography
Aubazines is a commune in the Massif Central located some 10 km east by north-east of Brive-la-Gaillarde and 12 km south-west of Tulle. The D1089 highway passes through the north-west of the commune going from Malemort-sur-Corrèze to Tulle. However, access to the village is by the D130 branching off the D1089, going south to the village, and continuing south to Beynat. The D48 also goes east from the village to Le Chastang with the D48E branching off it in the east of the commune to go north to Cornil. The D14E1 also goes south-west from the village to join the D14.Google Maps
A railway line passes through the commune parallel to the D1089 and the station for Aubazines is at Aubazine-Saint-Hilaire station in the neighbouring commune Saint-Hilaire-Peyroux. The line is served by the TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine trains towards Brive-la-Gaillarde, Tulle, Ussel and Bordeaux.
The village is in the south of the commune on a promontory overlooking the Coiroux at a height of over 150 metres. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of: Pauliac Bas, Pauliac Haut, Villieres, Vergonzac, Le Varachou, Rochesseux, Chastagnol, Quatre Routes, and Les Vayres. The commune is mixed forest and farmland.
The Corrèze river forms the north-western border of the commune as it flows south-west to join the Vézère west of Brive-la-Gaillarde. A number of streams rise in the commune to join the Corrèze including the Ruisseau de la Geinde, 2.7 km long, which rises near Quatre-Routes and flows north to join the Ruisseau de Brauze in Cornil commune which flows to the Corrèze, the Ruisseau Français, and the Canal des Moines which branches from the Coiroux.
The lowest altitude of the commune is 126 metres in the west where the Corrèze leaves the commune. The highest points are 520 metres high on the Puy de Pauliac which dominates the area, and in the south-east next to Le Chastang near a place called la Jarouste.
Neighbouring communes and villages
History The village of Aubazines, which had a church, became a commune in the French Revolution in 1790 through the dismantling of the parish of Cornil but it lacked Vital records until 1 March 1792.Historic parish registers, Vital records, and decennial tables Life in Aubazines under Napoléon
Aubazines, formerly written Obazine, has its origin in the foundation of a monastery by Étienne de Vielzot in the 12th century. The village of Obazine, then Aubazines from the Latin Obazina ("thick forest") Étienne de Vielzot The monastery was affiliated shortly after to the Cistercian order. Very soon an associated convent of nuns was established in the village of Coyroux a few hundred metres away. The two monasteries existed until the Revolution. Formerly spelled Obazine the parish depended on Cornil.
The site of the monastic institutions and their dependencies have been the object of archaeological excavations and extensive studies in the last third of the 20th century under the direction of Professor of medieval history Bernadette Barrière.
Aubazine-Saint-Hilaire Railway Station
The village of Gare d'Aubazine, although located in the commune of Saint-Hilaire-Peyroux is an integral part of the history of Aubazines and of Dampniat than that of Saint-Hilaire.
The railway station was established at a place called Confolens however, as the station was primarily to serve Aubazines even though it was on the territory of the neighbouring commune, the council demanded a composite name. The railway acceded to the demand and the stop which was called Aubazine-Saint-Hilaire-Peyroux became Aubazine thereafter. Saint-Hilaire-Peyroux have their own stop at Pont Bonnel.
Before 1840, the date of the opening of Route nationale N89 (later D1089), there was nothing at the bottom of this valley other than the worn-out mills of: Confolens in Dampniat commune, Claredent in Aubazines commune, and Jayle in Malemort-sur-Corrèze commune, which were accessible only on narrow, bumpy, and steep slopes by goods wagons. Horses, mules, and donkeys circulated more often than carts.
The village, now called Gare d'Aubazine was rather poorly named. The SNCF station is located on the right bank of the Corrèze in the territory of Saint-Hilaire-Peyroux while the left bank belongs largely to Dampniat with the nearest village located 2 km away.
The Confolens bridge and paper mill added to progress together with the railway at the end of the 19th century and in 1912 the establishment of a railhead for the departmental tram line going to Turenne then Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne via Le Bosplos completed this action. The Tacot (Jalopy) had disappeared by 1932, replaced by a bus and the agglomeration of the Gare d'Aubazine retained its thriving business. New houses were built and a school with two classes was opened for the children. Their parents climbed to Dampniat to learn to read.
In June 1944 maquisards destroyed the Claredent railway bridge, blocking a German armoured train and preventing convoys of equipment from the manufacture of weapons at Tulle from being quickly transported to their destination on the front or the Rhine.
Heraldry
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name Party Position 1799 1812 Jean Leguerenne 1817 1819 Jean-Baptiste Dejouvenel 1825 1825 Pierre Brugeille Farmer 1849 1852 Aubin Pierre Louradour 1853 1865 Aimard Epiphane Louradour 1870 1870 Jean-Maxim Brugeille Notary 1870 Jean-Louis Auguste Lafon 1874 1876 Jean-Baptiste Lavergne 1890 1944 Jean-Baptiste Laumond RS Notary 1893 1893 François Firmin Delmas LawyerMP from 1928 to 1936Magistrate of Andorra 1945 1959 Raymond Bouillaguet 1959 1977 Emile Bouy 1977 1995 Léon Canard 1995 2020 Jean-Pierre Chouzenoux PS 2020 2026 Damien Chanourdie 2026 2032 Bernard Larbre
Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aubazinois or Aubazinoises in French.Le nom des habitants du 19 - Corrèze, habitants.fr
Culture and heritage
Civil heritage The commune has two structures that are registered as historical monuments:
A Stone circle at Puy de Pauliac (Neolithic)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Canal des Moines (12th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée with a length of 1.7 km, it was built to supply the village - it is the only canal of its kind still operating in Europe.Documentary Heritage passion: from Lot-et-Garonne to Corrèze, Marie Maurice and Franck Dhelens, transmission Des racines et des ailes, 13 April 2011 It dominates the Gorges of Coiroux.The Gorges of Coiroux
Other sites of interest are: The Dolmen of Rochesseux. The Saut de la bergère rock (overlooking the Canal des Moines), a 70m high cliff where, according to legend, a shepherdess was thrown from to escape dishonour.Saut de la Bergère on the Aubazines website , consulted on 7 December 2009 The Tourist centre and Lake Coiroux.
Religious heritage Two religious buildings are registered as historical monuments and one more contains historical objects: Remains of the old Monastery of Coyroux (12th century).Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Google Books: Father J. B. L. Roy de Pierrefitte, Historical studies on the monasteries of Limousin and la Marche, Volume 1, Guéret, 1857-1863 It contains many items that are registered as historical objects: Statue: Sainte Marie-Madeleine (15th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Statue: Nicodème (15th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Group sculpture: Virgin and Saint John (15th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Group sculpture: Setting on a Tomb (15th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy The old Obazine Abbey or Abbey Saint-Etienne (1142)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée and monastic buildings of the ancient Cistercian abbey founded in 1142 by Saint Etienne, the first abbot. The abbey contains many items registered as historical objects: Group sculpture: Saint Roch (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Statuette: Virgin and child playing with a bird (15th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Master Altar: Altar, seating, Tabernacle, Pedestal, Statue (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy 3 Stalls (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Statue: Saint Etienne of Obazine (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Group sculpture: Virgin of pity (15th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Bas-relief: Saint Etienne Harding holding the habit of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Bas-relief: Saint Etienne Harding, Abbot of Citeaux, granting the Charter of charity (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Cabinet (12th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Altar Cross (13th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy 4 plates on a shrine (13th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Reliquary Cross (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Recumbent Statue: Saint Etienne of Obazine (13th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Tomb of Etienne of Obazine (13th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Total of 42 Stalls (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy Statue: Virgin (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Pedestal (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy 2 Statuettes: Adoring angels (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Tabernacle (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy 3 Statues: (1 large 2 small) Christ between 2 angels (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Altar, seating, altar tomb, altar exhibits (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy 2 Bas-reliefs: Saint Etienne (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Cabinet in the Sacristy (14th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Bronze bell (1683)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Little bell (1605)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Bronze bell (1605)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Reliquary Cross (double cross) (12th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Monumental Painting: Virgin of pity (1466)Ministry of Culture, Palissy 25 Stained glass windows (12th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Group of Stalls (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy The Parish Church of Notre-Dame contains three items registered as historical object: Statue: Saint John the Baptist (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Retable and Altar seating in the 2nd chapel in the south transept (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Bas-relief: Arms of the Abbey of Aubazines (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy
Notable people linked to the commune Étienne d'Obazine, founder of the Abbey. Pierre Brugeilles (1845-1893), born in Aubazines, Mayor of the commune, MP for Corrèze from 1885 to 1889. Jean-Baptiste Laumond (1865-1957), Mayor of the commune from 1890 to 1944, MP for Corrèze from 1926 to 1938, Magistrate of Andorra from 1937 to 1940. Coco Chanel (1883-1971), Hatmaker and clothes designer, spent part of her youth at the orphanage.Chanel, Martine Marcowith, Weekend.be in the Abbey and managed by the nuns from Saint-Cœur de Marie. Bernadette Barrière (1936-2004), Professor of medieval history, University of Limoges. Étienne Jugie, born in Aubazines on 3 May 1878,Register of Births No. 6 of 1878 on page 595 on the Departmental Archives of Corrèze website died at Sorgues on 29 November 1954, known in religion under the name Marin Jugie, (Augustinian of the Assumption) Theologian, author of numerous works, Professor at the Vatican and at Lyon. He worked on the Doctrine of the Assumption and on the Churches of the Orient, studied "Joseph de Maistre and the Greco-Russian Church".