​La Tour-St-Austrille

You will not find La Tour-St-Austrille on a modern map. It was joined with its neighbour St Dizier in 1848 to create the commune of St Dizier la Tour, 23130, in the Creuse. It is now known simply as "La Tour".

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The site of La Tour-St-Austrille still contains traces of its existence in 1000AD. These are exceptional not only because of their number and state of conservation, but also because of their associated history:
 

* There were four feudal mottes, of which three are still visible
* Two were excavated in 1865 when a number of everyday objects and weapons were found, giving clues to the lives of the local people
* The history of the mottes is tied in with the beginnings of the Comté de la Marche

In this guide, the section devoted to 1000AD identifies various medieval remains, and the information panels along the route enable you to imagine the village as it was then. The 15th century section takes you to buildings that were constructed after the Hunded Years’ War.
For more information, a historical guide to La Tour-St-Austrille will be on sale in 2013 at the chateau de Villemonteix, the Office de Tourism at Chénérailles, and the Mairie of St-Dizier-La-Tour.
After your glimpses of the 11th century at La Tour, you can go on to explore Chénérailles, a 13th century fortified town, and the beautifully conserved 15th century château de Villemonteix.