History

Richard I, King of England was besieging Châlus in 1199 when Pierre Basile wounded him with a crossbow bolt; Richard died of the wound.

In 1275-1280, Géraud de Maumont built a second castle, Châlus Maulmont, in front of Châlus Chabrol. Chateau Châlus Maulmont was damaged extensively during the French Revolution, and was dismantled in 1790, then used as a prison. The tower of Châlus Maulmont collapsed on March 20, 1994.

By 1745, Châlus is established and appears in the atlas of Trudaine on the road from Limoges to Périgord.

T. E. Lawrence, who would later be known as Lawrence of Arabia, celebrated his 20th birthday at the former Grand Hôtel du Midi, Place de la Fountain, on August 16, 1908, whilst tracing the route of Richard I of England, on a cycling tour of France in preparation for his thesis: The Influence of the crusades on the European military architecture at the end of the XIIth century.

Sights

Châlus has a castle named Château de Châlus-Chabrol and a ruined castle named Château de Châlus-Maulmont.

Richard's entrails are still preserved in the chapel, and there is a medieval garden. Other attractions of the village include a museum dedicated to the chestnut.

The biggest Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron Giganteum) in Europe, with a circumference of 13.3 m, is in a private garden.

Inhabitants are known as Chalusiens.

Provisions

In the town you will find all the everyday essentials. There are two supermarkets, a fuel station, and the usual collection of typical, indapendant shops and bars; and the good news is, that for the most part, many of the towns local inhabitants can understand and speak a little english.