The history of Limousin reaches back to
Celtic and
Roman times (50 BC to 550 AD). Its name is derived from the name of a
Gallic tribe, the
Lemovices, whose main sanctuary was recently found in
Tintignac and became a major research site of the Celtic world. During the 10th century, Limousin was divided into many
seigneuries. The most important of them, located in the southern part of the region, were the
vicomtés of
Limoges, Comborn (in present-day
Corrèze), Ventadour (today
Ussel and
Plateau de Millevaches), and
Turenne. The northernmost part of Limousin belonged to the
County of La Marche, while the
bishops of
Limoges controlled most of present-day
Haute-Vienne. Such political fragmentation led to the construction of many
castles, whose ruins still evoke memories of that historical period. The territory was attached to the
kingdom of France in 1589, with the accession to the throne of
Henry IV of France. The province of Limousin disappeared during the
French Revolution. It was dismantled and divided between three new departments established by the
National Constituent Assembly: mostly
Corrèze and
Haute-Vienne, and to a lesser extent the
Dordogne. The region was reconstituted in 1960 as an
Limousin (administrative region) until 2015, when it was merged into the
Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. s according to the current administrative division. == See also ==