1 The road to porcelain, leather and enamel
Where porcelain is concerned, excellence is cherished...
Porcelain has been made at Saint-Brice-sur-Vienne since 1825 when François Baignol founded a company and set up a porcelain factory, now known as ‘Les Porcelaines de la Fabrique’. The ‘Compagnie des Porcelaines de Limoges’, once the owner of the factory, has continued to run a factory shop in premises attached to the factory, and it still makes use of the skills of ‘Les Porcelaines de la Fabrique’ to create its white porcelain. Present since 1863 in the Limousin, Bernardaud set up a porcelain factory at Oradour-sur-Glane in 1978.
The ‘Porcelaines de la Fabrique’ and the ‘Compagnie des Porcelaines de Limoges’ have kept intact the craftsmanship and expertise of porcelain production and they now benefit from the label ‘Limoges Porcelain’, a ‘Protected Geographical Indication’. Producing a fine, white porcelain in the purist tradition has enabled them to acquire the confidence of not only the greatest names of luxury goods but also contemporary artists whose creations are made in their factories.
If you like beautiful porcelain, why not pop in to one of our factory shops ?
Two factory shops and one workshop/shop are open all year round:
The Compagnie des Porcelaines de Limoges at Saint-Brice-sur-Vienne, and hand-painted porcelain at La Vie en Rose and the workshop of artist Joseph Goscimsky (hand-painted porcelain) at Saint-Junien. .
Compagnie des porcelaines de Limoges
la Porcelaine du Site Corot
Porcelaines de la Fabrique à Saint-Brice-sur-Vienne - Photo Hervé Chantegros
Gloves, belts, shoes, leather bags : take home a small (or large) souvenir !
Leather working has a long history in the Porte Océane du Limousin as it dates back to the 11th century …… and it still has a strong presence in our area today! Whether it be establishments steeped in long family traditions or craftspeople/designers recently set up here, there is a huge diversity of leather trades in the Porte Océane du Limousin.
Leather to suit all tastes …….
More than just an afternoon‘s shopping, it is a pleasure for the senses !
During an afternoon’s shopping with friends or family, feel the beautiful ‘glacé ‘ lamb skins and breath in the soft scent of leather in the factory shops of the Porte Océane du Limousin.
Buy a lamb skin at the ‘Mégisserie Colombier’ (Saint-Junien) ; for a beautiful pair of lamb or kid skin gloves head to ‘Gants Morand’ or ‘Ganterie Agnelle’ (Saint-Junien) ; for a leather belt or bag it’s ‘La Maroquinerie DAGUET ‘ (Saint-Junien). If you have a little more time the ‘Maroquinerie DAGUET’ can create a bag or belt just for you ! And to match, why not buy a pair of shoes at Parallèles at Rochechouart ?
And newcomers are adding to the diversity of leather trades …….
Lewis Barbedor has created a company, ‘Atypic Création,’ specialising in high-quality upholstery and saddlery for cars, motorbikes and boats, at Oradour-sur-Glane. And Laetitia Fortin has chosen Saint-Junien to set up a workshop for her leather creations which are available from her internet web-site.
Leather and porcelain or leather and enamel?
In the Porte Océane du Limousin we like to mix our skills. The ‘ Maroquinerie DAGUET ‘ has been working with the ‘Porcelaines de la Fabrique’ and Nelly Gauthier’s ’Palais de l’émail’. Laetitia Fortin has designed items using leather and porcelain for the 25th anniversary of CRAFT (Centre de recherche sur les arts du feu et de la terre).
Looking for some jewellery or a work of art in enamel? We have four craftspeople in our area !
It is purely by chance that four women have chosen the Porte Océane du Limousin to express their creativity in enamel. Recently installed or long established, take the time to discover their universe. The workshops/shops of Nelly Gauthier at Saint-Junien and Christiane Pouret at Oradour-sur-Glane are open all year round. The creations of Sonia Caillon (Chaillac-sur-Vienne) and Dominique Pradeau are available on-line.
For an introductory workshop or course :
Nelly Gauthier offers introductory workshops and demonstrations by reservation only, and Dominique Pradeau offers courses.
Cuir
Porcelaine La vie en Rose
Email - Palais de l'émail
2 Our location : 4 hours from Paris, 3 hours from Toulouse, 2 hours from Bordeaux
For a stopover …..
Wanting to stop for the night before heading on to the coast or up towards the north ? Stay overnight in our area! Our bed and breakfasts are good value for money …. A stopover in the calm and comfort of a bed and breakfast, a hotel in the town or in the country, we have a variety of accommodation on offer.
For a family reunion ……
Are you looking for a gîte to sleep 10, 15, 20 or 50 people ? Near a waymarked footpath, a lake, or recreational facilities, we have gîtes and gîte complexes to meet your needs.
Carte touristique des 13 communes de notre territoire
3Looking to get away from it all? head this way!
Cycling, mountain-biking, horse-riding, walking, fishing, canoeing or simply relaxing beside a lake …… There are a thousand-and-one ways to discover the natural environment of the Porte Océane du Limousin. With 21 waymarked footpaths from which to choose, make the most of the fine weather and explore the area …… although, all seasons have their charm !
And along some of these footpaths you will discover some real treasures: remarkable trees and unusual built heritage.
For a break from your usual routine, why not stay in the country: a gîte in a former presbytery or an old railway signal- house ; a camp-site by a lake or a bed and breakfast in a hamlet.
Site Corot à Saint-Junien
4Events and festivals for all tastes
Festival Labyrinthe de la Voix dans les allées du château de Rochechouart
The Porte Océane du Limousin organises a variety of quality events. With a large network of associations, there is something going on all year round.
If you enjoy music, theatre, dance ……..
For concerts, plays or exhibitions in exceptional or unusual settings, come and visit during the following events : le Labyrinthe de la Voix (Rochechouart), Saxophonie, Champs Libre (Saint-Junien), Muse en scène, Son de Glane (Oradour-sur-Glane), les Cheminées du Rock (Saillat-sur-Vienne), Rendez-Vous en Terrasses, les Bredins (Saint-Victurnien), Comme un effet de l’Art Scène, la Biennale Internationale d’Arts Naïf et Singulier.
For mechanical or sporting events : in the Porte Océane du Limousin we have our heads in the clouds and our feet on the ground …
Check it out yourself by attending the following unmissable events :
Légend’air, la Corrida des étoiles (Rochechouart), le Camion Cross, la Glanetaude, Rocn’run, 10km de Saint-Junien, l’Ekiden trail du Roc, la Radounaude (Oradour-sur-Glane), la Gant ‘rando (Saint-Junien), les 10km Vayres-Rochechouart.
Légend'Air en Limousin
5for the gourmand
Take the time to savour the area !
As the seasons change, the weekly markets will give you an idea of the gastronomy of the Porte Océane du Limousin. Enjoy the Limousin beef in the friendly atmosphere of one of our fine restaurants, maybe even with a view of the limousin countryside. And if you prefer to buy for yourself, the local producers’ shops enable you to meet those who provide the high quality food and drink of the area : farmers, cheese-makers, market gardeners …..
Marché festif Saint-Brice-sur-Vienne
In the summer months, taste the flavours of the Porte Océane du Limousin at one of the festive markets. These are organised every summer by the Communauté de Communes to promote the local producers – a fun event not to be missed!
And don’t forget the tea-rooms, cake shops and bakeries which will appeal to those with a sweet tooth. Look out for the local or regional specialities which include the Rochechouartais, the Burgou, the Arena, the Cyrano, the Treipaïs ……