This village in the Creuse region is the only one to be awarded the "Most Beautiful Village of France" label, a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

While the site of Chambon-sur-Voueize has been occupied since Gallo-Roman times, according to the Esprit Creuse tourist office , the current village was founded in the 9th century with the establishment of a monastery. A century later, it housed a large portion of the relics of Saint Valerie, formerly kept in Limoges. It was in this way that the village began to prosper thanks to the pilgrimage.

As has been the case for over 500 years, those wishing to explore this village must begin by crossing its 40-meter-long Romanesque bridge spanning the Voueize River, according to the "Most Beautiful Villages of France" website . Visitors then arrive in narrow streets leading to wide, typical houses with brown tile roofs. "At every turn, the past seems to resurface, and one enjoys discovering traces of bygone activities such as tanneries, hat-making, the courthouse, the prison, the hospital…" explains the tourist office.

A unique religious heritage

But the masterpiece of Chambon-sur-Voueize remains the Abbey Church of Saint-Valérie. Built between the 11th and 13th centuries, it was listed as a Historical Monument in 1844, according to the town's website . Its exterior is distinguished by the presence of two fortified bell towers. The interior houses choir stalls and a choir screen made of carved wood, as well as remarkable decorations, such as a 15th-century painting, a pyxis, and other paintings. Its treasury still contains the reliquary of Valérie of Limoges, known as Saint Valérie, who was beheaded for refusing to marry a pagan.