If you think of Montmorillon, you think of books. This modest town with its 6,500 souls is located on the River Gartempe in the east of La Vienne (86), and in fact calls itself the Ville d’Art et d’Histoire. But is better known as La Cité de l’écrit et des métiers du livre, or the City of Writing and Bookmaking or the Village of the Written Word.
In this old town above the old (northern) bridge of Montmorillon, there is a fascinating selection of narrow streets bordered by small, often pokey but picturesque enterprises concerned with calligraphy, bookbinding, antique and used bookselling (and buying), illustration and other bookish pursuits. If you like books, it’s an exhilarating place to nose about in – fusty, almost Dickensian.
Apart from its devotion to writing Montmorillon and the area around it offers plenty of others things to do and see.
Read more