Limousin (province) in the context of "Limoges"

Limousin (French pronunciation: [limuzɛ̃] ; Occitan: Lemosin [lemuˈzi]) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Situated mostly in the west side of south-central French Massif Central, Limousin had (in 2010) 742,770 inhabitants spread out on nearly 17,000 km (6,600 square miles), making it the least populated region of metropolitan France.

The Occitan cross (Occitan: crotz occitana [ˈkɾuts utsiˈtanɔ] ), also called cross of Occitania (crotz d'Occitània), cross of Languedoc (crotz de Lengadòc) or cross of Toulouse (crotz de Tolosa), heraldically "cross cleché, pommettée and voided", is a heraldic cross, today chiefly used as a symbol of Occitania. In the Chanson de la Croisade Albigeoise, it goes by the name of "Raymondine cross" (crotz ramondenca or ramondina).

The design was probably first used in the coat of arms of the counts of Forcalquier (in modern Provence), in the 12th century, and by the counts of Toulouse in their capacity as Marquises of Provence, on 13th century coins and seals. It later spread to the other provinces of Occitania, namely Provence, Guyenne, Gascony, Dauphiné, Auvergne and Limousin.

Jean Poton de Xaintrailles (French: [ʒɑ̃ pɔtɔ̃ də sɛ̃tʁaj]; c. 1390 – 7 October 1461), a minor noble of Gascon origin, was one of the chief lieutenants of Joan of Arc.

He served as master of the royal stables, as royal bailiff in Berry and as seneschal of Limousin. In 1454 he was appointed a Marshal of France. Jean Poton was a leading figure on the French side in the Hundred Years War.