Nitot, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Saint-Junien
The second commune of the Haute-Vienne after Limoges, Saint-Junien grew up along the Vienne, crossed by a 13th-century medieval bridge that spurred its development. The collegiate church of the same name, an imposing 11th-century Romanesque building, holds the carved tomb of Saint Junien, the hermit founder of the town, and is one of the major religious monuments of the Limousin.
The town built its industrial reputation on glove making, tanning and making leather gloves, which employed generations of local people, and the craft is still recognised by a label of French excellence. On the edge of the Monts de Blond, the town is a pleasant stop between Romanesque heritage and the rolling landscapes of the northern Limousin.
