Meuzac
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Meuzac (; oc, Meusac) is a
commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...
in the Haute-Vienne department in the
Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by ...
region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
in west-central
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Inhabitants are known as ''Meuzacois'' and ''Meuzacoises''.


Geography

The town lies on an ancient granite bedrock (quarries of pink granite, called "Meuzac Stone") dug through the valleys of the Boucheuse and its tributary stream, the Roubardie (Garonne river basin), which respectively feed the two main water bodies of the municipality: Forgeneuve lake and La Roche lake, also called "Lac du Syndicat d'Initiative". Presence of serpentine outcrops on the moors of Cluzeau and La Flotte (on Meuzac and Chateau-Chervix).


History

Meuzac is the only town in France with that name. There are various spellings in the ancient texts (Melsac eleventh century, then Mensac). The Latin etymology comes from the name of a man: Meletius. Presence of pre-historic, Roman and Gallo-Roman remains. The origin of the town is probably due to the exploitation of gold mines (quartz and gold ore). The few last gold mines still present in the early twentieth century have been abandoned by lack of sustainability, and recent surveys by sampling (1980) have demonstrated the non-viability of this operation under current methods. The relay of the economic viability of the settlement was mainly due to agricultural and forestry activities: livestock, chestnut and small polyculture for food. There is evidence of the presence of ancient crafts (ironworks, brickworks). Record the existence of a "Maison Hospitalière".


Places of interest and monuments

The Romanesque church, rebuilt in the seventeenth century, devoted to St. Peter-ad-Vincula, which twelfth-century chancel is presumably the oldest in the Limousin region, has two very original square towers, one over the apse and another on the west portal. Remains of a priory of the Order of Grandmont (monastic cell) at the village of Le Cluzeau. The La Roche lake, or Lac du Syndicat d'Initiative, is ranked first category for leisure. The Forgeneuve lake is a Mecca for waterskiing in France.


See also

*
Communes of the Haute-Vienne department The following is a list of the 195 communes of the Haute-Vienne department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020):Communes of Haute-Vienne {{HauteVienne-geo-stub