Aubazines

[5]

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 Archived 21 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine 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.

The commune has two structures that are registered as historical monuments:

• A Stone circle at Puy de Pauliac (Neolithic)[14]
• The Canal des Moines (12th century)[15] 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.[16] It dominates the Gorges of Coiroux.[17]

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.[18]
• The Tourist centre and Lake Coiroux.

• 
  A Dovecote
• 
  Couroux Gorge
• 
  The Canal des Moines
• 
  The Canal des Moines
• 
  Lake Coiroux

Two religious buildings are registered as historical monuments and one more contains historical objects:

• Remains of the old Monastery of Coyroux (12th century).[19][20] It contains many items that are registered as historical objects:
  • Statue: Sainte Marie-Madeleine (15th century)[21]
  • Statue: Nicodème (15th century)[22]
  • Group sculpture: Virgin and Saint John (15th century)[23]
  • Group sculpture: Setting on a Tomb (15th century)[24]
• The old Obazine Abbey or Abbey Saint-Etienne (1142)[25] 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)[26]
  • Statuette: Virgin and child playing with a bird (15th century)[27]
  • Master Altar: Altar, seating, Tabernacle, Pedestal, Statue (18th century)[28]
  • 3 Stalls (17th century)[29]
  • Statue: Saint Etienne of Obazine (18th century)[30]
  • Group sculpture: Virgin of pity (15th century)[31]
  • Bas-relief: Saint Etienne Harding holding the habit of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (17th century)[32]
  • Bas-relief: Saint Etienne Harding, Abbot of Citeaux, granting the Charter of charity (17th century)[33]
  • Cabinet (12th century)[34]
  • Altar Cross (13th century)[35]
  • 4 plates on a shrine (13th century)[36]
  • Reliquary Cross (19th century)[37]
  • Recumbent Statue: Saint Etienne of Obazine (13th century)[38]
  • Tomb of Etienne of Obazine (13th century)[39]
  • Total of 42 Stalls (17th century)[40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]
  • Statue: Virgin (18th century)[51]
  • Pedestal (18th century)[52]
  • 2 Statuettes: Adoring angels (18th century)[53]
  • Tabernacle (18th century)[54]
  • 3 Statues: (1 large 2 small) Christ between 2 angels (18th century)[55]
  • Altar, seating, altar tomb, altar exhibits (18th century)[56]
  • 2 Bas-reliefs: Saint Etienne (17th century)[57]
  • Cabinet in the Sacristy (14th century)[58]
  • Bronze bell (1683)[59]
  • Little bell (1605)[60]
  • Bronze bell (1605)[61]
  • Reliquary Cross (double cross) (12th century)[62]
  • Monumental Painting: Virgin of pity (1466)[63]
  • 25 Stained glass windows (12th century)[64]
  • Group of Stalls (17th century)[65]
• The Parish Church of Notre-Dame contains three items registered as historical object:
  • Statue: Saint John the Baptist (17th century)[66]
  • Retable and Altar seating in the 2nd chapel in the south transept (17th century)[67]
  • Bas-relief: Arms of the Abbey of Aubazines (17th century)[68]

• 
  The Cistercian Abbey
• 
  Side view of the Abbey
• 
  The Abbey lodging
• 
  Tomb of Saint Etienne
• 
  Some of the Stalls in the Abbey
• 
  One of the old Cabinets
• 
  The transept in the Abbey
• 
  Painting: Virgin of pity
• 
  Altar in the Abbey
• 
  The choir in the abbey
• 
  One of the Stained glass windows in the Abbey