A little history of Collonges-la-Rouge medieval city

Collonges-la-Rouge ("Collonges the Red") has a perfect name! The village, lists as Plus Beaux Villages de France, owns its name from the red sandstone: the church, the gorgeous houses are made of this stone!

This nice little city was inhabited since the Roman time. Since the 8th century, a church and a Benedictine priory was founded here. Then viscounts of Turenne transformed the city in the 14th and 15th century.

They added surrounding wall flanked by 4 gates and towers, they built beautiful houses for the most mighty gentlemen, in the 18th century.

Vassignac castle with its two turrets crowned by a pepper box roof was raised in 1583 by Gédéon de Vassignac, lord of Collonges and viscounty of Turenne's governor.