river, western France, 217 mi (350 km) in length, a left-bank tributary of the Loire. Rising on the Plateau de Millevaches, the Vienne winds through the agricultural regions of five départements. It flows west-northwest into the Haute-Vienne département, receiving the Maulde and Taurion tributaries, which are dammed in several places, before it flows past the city of Limoges. Beyond Saint-Junien it turns sharply north and broadens. After passing through Châtellerault, it meets the Creuse River and bends westward past Chinon before joining the Loire.