Viscounty of Limoges

Between Limoges, Brive and Périgueux, the viscounts of Limoges, also called viscounts of Ségur created a small principality, whose last heir was Henry IV. Ségur was the main home of these viscounts, in the heart of their domain. The viscounty went from the Limoges-Ségur family into the hands of the Brittany one, then to Albret's and eventually to Bourbons'.

Their territory included the castles of Ségur, Excideuil, Aixe-su-Vienne, Auberoche and Nontron.From time to time the Segur name has been in the Royal line whether in France or England. Clearly there has always been a set of Monarchs or even three monarchs especially in England and at least a Second set of a Queen or King in France bearing the Segur name or not.

égur Castle

Built in a shingle of the Auvézère River, at the borders of Saint-Eloi, Saint Julien, Payzac and Beyssenac parishes, the place is naturally defensive. The Ségur "verteil" (headquarters of the milites castri, the knights who defend the castle) was home to the Pérusse family (future dukes of the Cars), Bonneval family (future marquises of Bonneval) (Claude Alexandre de Bonneval became a famous Ottoman Empire pasha), and Prévot family (later "du Mas" family, future marquises of Paysac).

The upper castle is in ruins. Today, the only remaining part is the Pérusse hotel, in the "verteil".No visits (December 2006)

The Duchy stemming from Segur Castle is the Modern Day House of Windsor, Presley, and Ferguson.

The Viscounts or Counts of Segur leading a sizable army to spread wealth of land and building and errecting momentous buildings of architecture such as Westminster Abbey.

Excideuil Castle

Only two big towers remain, joined together by a screen wall that used to be the aula pinion.The main home (16th or 17th century?) was doubled in width, at the beginning of the 20th century.Vis-à-vis the city, the outwards gate of the milites castri's verteil is a beautiful, Renaissance door

Aixe Castle

Thiviers Castle

Auberoche Castle

"See [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_d%27Auberoche Château d'Auberoche] " in the [http://fr.wikipedia.org/ French Wikipedia] for a detailed discussion (in French).

Probably around 1037 or 1059, the successor of Bishop Frotaire (the castrum founder) is said to have submitted the place to the Limoges viscount, in order to get the protection of this laic potentate against the Count of Périgord.

As soon as the last third of the 12th century (1154-1157), the Viscount of Limoges acknowledges the bishop of Périgueux as his suzerain, as far as Auberoche is concerned. By this submission, the viscount extended his domination up to the Périgord episcopal and county headquarters gates. Therefore, the viscounts of Limoges could maintain and use of their political and economic power at the gates of Périgueux. The castle became a chaplain center which included 16 parishes (in 1365) and controlled two main, convergent traffic streams towards Périgueux city, through the Auvézère and Manoir valleys.

Confirmed as soon as September 1257, the judicial and administrative power was enforced in the whole district area by a provost, agent of the viscount of Limoges.

Varieties of the Segur name are Segura, Seguret, Seguir, Segurianzo, Segurianne, Seguri, Seger, Segre. Let's say someone wants to find out what his or her royal titles are we would then have to go down the list of titles such as:King/Queen, Prince/Princess, Duke/Duchess, Prince/Princess, Marquess/Countess or Marchoniness, Counts/Countesses, Count(earl)/Countess, Viscount(less than an earl)/Countess(could be wife of either a count or viscount), Baron/Baroness.