GRP Midi Corrézien - Etape 2 : de Noailhac à Collonges la Rouge

Collonges-la-Rouge offers an original and unusual sight, as much for the flamboyance of its stones as for the richness of its heritage. The red of the sandstone and the ochre-colored slate, the blue-gray of the slate and the green of the vines clinging to the walls form the palette of this dreamy little town. From the 16th century onwards, Collonges became the residence of the officials of the Viscounty of Turenne and the jurists of the châtellenie, hence the presence of numerous castels and pepper-pot towers. In the 19th century, as the town fell into a state of lethargy, the mayor of the time, Charles Ceyrac, launched the idea of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France", with Collonges being the first village to be awarded the label! Your visit will be punctuated by the discovery of the 11th-century church fortified during the Wars of Religion, the 13th-century chapel of the Penitents

The church at Noailhac has a Romanesque choir adorned with arcatures. The capitals are very archaic (Adam receiving the apple from Eve, Daniel in the lion's den). The nave - three 15th-century bays - is rib-vaulted and flanked by two chapels whose keystones bear the Noailles coat of arms. Of particular note is the 12th-century baptismal font in red sandstone, decorated with a checkerboard pattern.

St Peter's Church, dating from the 11th and 15th centuries. Limousin bell tower, octagonal with a square base, 12th to 11th centuries. Two separate naves (formerly Catholic and Protestant) Portal with tympanum on the theme of the Ascension, mid-12th century. Flat chevet, 13th century, north aisle, 14th-15th centuries; south chapels, 15th century, wooden Pietà, 15th century. Recumbent Christ Protestant mobile pulpit 2 altarpieces with the instruments of the Passion according to the Gospels 17th-century painting restored in 2025 5 circular walks around Collonges: wash house walk, digestive walk, spring trails, 5 museums trail, PAPSE photographer trail.