Thenon

Located on a rounded hillock, at an altitude of 268 metres, the village of Thenon of long ago formed a “castrum,” a defence position protected to the west by ditches which have since been filled. Occupied since prehistoric times, the territory of Thenon includes several Palaeolithic deposits; but it was during Gallo-Roman times that the village really developed.

The existence of the parish as soon as 1185 is revealed by its mention in the Cartulaire of Saint-Amand-de-Coly of that year, but as the centuries passed, the spelling of the name of the village changed many times. Until the beginning of the 18th century, Teno was used, but in 1209 the famous troubadour Bertrand de Born wrote it “Thenon.” The etymology of the word seems to stem from a Gallo-Roman personality, Attienus or Attenus, to which the suffix –onem has been added.

There are not many vestiges left of the ancient castrum. The square tower near the church, of which the apse dating from the 12th century has been preserved, probably belonged to the castle. The thick walls lead us to imagine the village as a group of houses nestled around the castle. The stronghold was surely, and many times over, a refuge for the local population, even if during the Hundred Years’ war it was seized by the English and held for three and a half months.

The castle was burned by the English, and the tower bears the scars. The tower itself was demolished and reconstructed several times.

The manor of Thenon, first a possession of the La Faye family, then fell to the powerful Hautefort family. The links between the two families were reinforced by marriages such as that of Aymard de Faye, the son of Adhémar, the Lord of Thenon, to Marguerite de Born, the granddaughter of the troubadour.

Later, Jean de Hautefort made his will at Thenon and “was buried in the church of Thenon in front of the altar of Sainte Anne and the Virgin, next to his mother’s tomb, with an honourable funeral, according to his authority.

The bell wall of the church seems to have replaced the dungeon of the ancient castle. The building of the church forms a Latin cross with a triumphal arch and a vaulted semi-dome at its intersection. The master altar, dating from 1882, is made of Carrare marble.

The town hall was built in an area featuring other charming dwellings whose gardens are bordered with dry stone walls, such as in the Rue des Déportés or the Rue Berthelot./p>

The Jarripigier (towards the pond) was a large hamlet, possessing a chapel and a cemetery, during the era of the Cannons Road. A lookout point for guards at the intersections of major roads, from Bordeaux to Brive and from Périgueux to Cahors, it was probably used as a trap.

Thenon is the entranceway to the Vézère Valley and the Auvézère for those travelling on Highway 89. Situated 7 km from the highway exit, Thenon offers many tourist structures, including the Tourist Office of the Causses and Vézère.