Place de la République

The Place de la République, in Limoges

The Place de la République is the largest pedestrian square of Limoges, a place laden with history that shelters the crypt of the former abbey of Saint-Martial. The Limoges audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this lively heart of the town, built on ancient and medieval vestiges.

The heart of the town and the hidden crypt

You arrive on the Place de la République, the largest pedestrian square of Limoges. It is a place laden with history. At the Roman era, this space was a residential quarter, then it became a necropolis. But above all, it is here that rose one of the most important abbeys of the town, the abbey of Saint-Martial, that shone throughout the Middle Ages. Saint Martial was indeed the first bishop of Limoges and the evangeliser of the Limousin, venerated as the patron saint of the town, and his tomb attracted crowds of pilgrims, making of Limoges a great stop on the roads of Santiago de Compostela. The abbey was destroyed after the Revolution, but the square keeps a hidden treasure: under the ground, the crypt of Saint-Martial was rediscovered in the twentieth century, an exceptional vestige where the tomb of the saint was, that can be visited and that plunges the visitor into the Christian origins of the town. Today, the Place de la République, vast, pedestrian and lively, lined with shops and cafés, is the beating heart of Limoges, a place of passage, gathering and life. A historic square and a thousand-year-old crypt, the Place de la République is a fine stop of the discovery of the town.

What to see

Here you enjoy the largest pedestrian square of Limoges, laden with history: a Roman residential quarter then a necropolis, it was the site of the abbey of Saint-Martial, dedicated to the first bishop and evangeliser of the Limousin whose tomb attracted the pilgrims of Santiago; destroyed after the Revolution, it keeps under the ground the crypt of Saint-Martial, that can be visited, and it is today the lively heart of the town. The Place de la République is a historic heart of Limoges. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Place de la République lies in the heart of Limoges, reachable on foot. It is a freely accessible pedestrian public square, lined with shops and cafés; the crypt of Saint-Martial, under the square, can be visited according to its own hours and conditions, which vary. It is best to check them before coming.

What does the Place de la République hide in Limoges?

Under its ground, it keeps the crypt of Saint-Martial, an exceptional vestige of the abbey of Saint-Martial that rose there in the Middle Ages, dedicated to the first bishop and evangeliser of the Limousin whose tomb attracted the pilgrims of Santiago; a Roman residential quarter then a necropolis, the square is the largest pedestrian square and the lively heart of the town.

Where is the Place de la République in Limoges?

In the heart of Limoges, in France.