Église St-Michel des Lions

Top choice in Limoges


Named for the two granite lions flanking its door, Église St-Michel des Lions was built between the 14th and 16th centuries. It contains the relics (including the skull) of St Martial, Limoges’ first bishop, who converted the city to Christianity. Look for the huge copper ball perched atop its 65m-high spire.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Limoges attractions

1. Cour du Temple

0.07 MILES

Tucked away between rue du Temple and rue du Consulat, this tiny enclosed courtyard is surrounded by 16th-century hôtels particuliers (private mansions)…

2. Rue de la Boucherie

0.11 MILES

Pedestrianised rue de la Boucherie was named for the butchers’ shops that lined the street in the Middle Ages. Today it has many attractive medieval half…

3. Maison de la Boucherie

0.12 MILES

The Maison de la Boucherie houses a small history museum, and nearby is the tiny Chapelle Saint-Aurélien, dedicated to the patron saint of butchers.

4. Chapelle St-Aurélien

0.14 MILES

Tiny 1475 Chapelle Saint-Aurélien, dedicated to the patron saint of butchers, was acquired and maintained by the butchers' guild.

5. Crypt of St Martial

0.14 MILES

All that remains of the once-great pilgrimage point St-Martial abbey, founded in AD 848, is a faint outline on place de la République, and an underground…

6. Pavillon du Verdurier

0.19 MILES

Around Limoges, look out for porcelain and enamel tiles on many buildings, including the Pavillon du Verdurier, a beautiful octagonal building dating from…

7. Église St-Pierre du Queyroix

0.22 MILES

The moody late-Gothic Église St-Pierre du Queyroix is notable for its characteristic Limousin belfry and stained glass.

8. Musée National Adrien Dubouché

0.26 MILES

This museum, founded in 1845, has one of France’s two outstanding ceramics collections (the other is in Sèvres, southwest of Paris), so it’s a must for…