Montmorillon: Architectural History, Book Arts and the Gartempe

Montmorillon brings together several distinct themes for a stay: historic buildings, the history of books and crafts, the Gartempe, and the processing of almonds into macarons. If you are looking for a hotel in Montmorillon, these highlights may shape your choice of destination. The following places range from medieval architectural features and dated events to visitor workshops and a museum devoted to macaron making. They offer concrete starting points to help you decide which sides of the town you would like to focus on during your stay.

Architectural history across different periods

Pont Vieux dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. It once housed Montmorillon’s old prison. The prison collapsed on 14 July 1792 as a result of a flood. These details relate to two different aspects: the approximate period concerns the construction of Pont Vieux, while the precisely dated event concerns the prison. This clearly separates the bridge’s architectural history from the later episode.

The church and crypt of Église Notre-Dame de Montmorillon were classified as historic monuments in 1862. This date refers to the classification, not to when the church was built. At Église Saint-Martial, by contrast, the architectural history can be read in its surviving features and later rebuilding: the old choir and Romanesque bell tower date from the original 12th-century church; the rest of the building was rebuilt in the 19th century. Saint-Martial was listed as a historic monument in 1984.

Book history, workshops and machines

The Cité de l’Écrit et des Métiers du Livre grew out of Montmorillon’s history of books, which also included paper mills on the Gartempe. At the Cité, booksellers, antiquarian booksellers, painters, illuminators and illustrators open their workshops to visitors. The book trade and a variety of creative activities sit side by side here, so a visit focuses not only on books but also on their design and the professions associated with them.

La Préface offers a different insight into historic writing and calculating machines. You can view the machines, hear how they work and try some of them out for yourself. La Préface can be visited on a self-guided tour; guided visits are available by appointment only. If you would like a guided tour, arrange it in advance. As visitor arrangements may change, check the current conditions for visiting La Préface before your visit.

The Gartempe and views of the town

The Gartempe divides Montmorillon into two parts. Its banks offer views of the town and Église Notre-Dame. The river is thus both a defining feature of the town’s layout and a vantage point for taking in the townscape.

From almond to macaron

The Musée de l’Amande et du Macaron explains how almonds are made into macarons and introduces visitors to the closely guarded production secrets of the Rannou-Métivier family. The focus is on processing and production know-how—a different perspective from the architectural history of the churches or the book-related professions at the Cité.

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