A look at the commune and the village of Montrol Senard

Montrol-Senard is situated in the Haute-Vienne (Limousin region) in the southern-centre of France at 38 km from Limoges, the department capital. 

Montrol-Senard is about 392 km from Paris.

Popular places to visit nearby include Mortemart at 1 km, which is the only village in the Limousin to carry the title ‘Les Beaux Villages des France,’  Brigueuil at 11 km and Oradour-sur-Glane at 15 km.

Montrol-Sénard is a beautiful French village that is a testament to years gone by, it is situated on the west side of the Monts de Blond. It has very little known history, but the land was definitely visited by the Romans as ‘des tuiles a rebord’, (rimmed tiles) were discovered near to Peyrelade.

The evidence to the Middle Ages is the cemetery Chapel, estimated to date back to the XII or XIII Century. It is a square monument on four pillars with arches between them and sides measuring about 8 metres. The cemetery of Montrol-Sénard is an architectural museum within itself where you can see old white tombs made with the regions granite.

Like so many villages, the population declined over the centuries, when just before World War 2 the population was about 618 inhabitants and ever since this number has continued to fall. Now the population has fallen by 75%.

Many inhabitants having left to find work in the towns have left behind them many objects now regarded as souvenirs and memories.
The Mayor of Montrol-Sénard, and the tourist office, aided by many voluntary workers spend a lot of time and effort in promoting and bringing to life our village and community. So much so that Montrol-Sénard has become the perfect example of a ‘village-memory’ in the Limousin.

Classrooms, bread ovens, living spaces, attics, barns, farms, workshops have all been restored and furnished to emphasize the authentic traditions of the past. It is fascinating to discover the history, the traditional architecture, the lifestyle of the village. Each year it is this that attracts hundreds, seems like thousands, of tourists and not just holiday makers, but school children visit us by the bus load just before the summer holidays and again at the start in September, just to see and learn about a bygone age.

Le Lavoir (Washhouse)

l'ecole  (The School)

The Church is also well worth a visit, built in the XII and XIII Century, with the beautiful Limousin gates, the huge Church bell facing South and the original Crucifix dating back to 1730.

There are many other little villages to discover surrounding the village of Montrol-Senard, including Chantecouder, Montmézéry, Montrocher, Puybras and La Valette which are all full of rural architecture. 

Ann Vipond     

October 2018