The Romanisation of the territory of the Lemovices began with the founding of the city of Augustoritum. As with the entire southern part of Gaul, this resulted in the formation of the Occitan language to which the Limousin dialect belonged. It was sung by the troubadours and spoken until the middle of the 20th century.

During the 12th century, the city became a religious, artistic and intellectual centre of Aquitaine, thanks to the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Martial on the pilgrimage route to Compostela. This cultural influence gave rise to polyphonic music and illuminations, and to the art of enamelwork, referred to as the Œuvre de Limoges.

As part of the Province of Aquitaine, Limoges suffered from the tensions between the Kingdoms of France and England during the Middle Ages, and in the 17th and 18th centuries, royal power was asserted in the city with the arrival of the Intendants, including the famous Turgot.

The discovery of kaolin near to Limoges in 1768 gave rise to the porcelain industry. During the 19th century, labour was organised around fraternal benefit societies and trade unions. The creation of the CGT trades union in Limoges in 1895 and the revolutionary strikes of 1905 show the political and social energy of the area, which later provided fertile ground for the spirit of the resistance during the Occupation.

The post-war boom brought strong demographic and economic growth to Limoges, becoming the regional economic centre with its Ester Technology Park and European Centre of Ceramics among other things.