Sarlat

SARLAT-la-Canéda, Périgord Noir

Thanks to the Malraux Laws of 1962, Sarlat’s historic centre has been protected from modern development and planning and is now mostly car-free. The major restoration work conducted on the 14th century town have rendered Sarlat as a major tourist attraction in France, with its honey-coloured limestone buildings, narrow medieval streets and attractive inner courtyards.

Every street, square, courtyard and architectural detail are pleasing to the eye. On your way from the carpark to the centre of town, you will return to the past, simply by walking into the streets bordered with Gothic and Renaissance mansions and townhouses. In Sarlat, even the more modest looking houses display a certain charm with their pitched roofs, tiled with ‘lauze’, the flat limestone so typical of the region, and squat walls often backing on to medieval ramparts.

This charming little town of 10,000 inhabitants is only the third largest of the rural Périgord region, though it is nonetheless a major tourist attraction, welcoming more than 1.5 million visitors each year.

For many French people, Sarlat is the place which jumps to mind when thinking about the Périgord region. Located off the usual main roads, Sarlat is renowned for a rich architectural heritage that has been remarkably well-preserved, as well as a famous gastronomic tradition (44% of the French think that Périgord is the region where one will eat the best food in France).

How to get to Sarlat-la-Canéda...

Sarlat-la-Canéda is easily accessible by car from Paris, Bordeaux and Toulouse, via the A20 and A89 autoroutes (French for motorways).

If you travel from Australia you could take a flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle, and travel by TGV from the airport station straight to Bordeaux and rent a car from there.

The TGV from Paris-Gare de Montparnasse takes 3 hours to Bordeaux. A SNCF coach links Sarlat to the train station of Libourne which has direct trains to Bordeaux.

Sarlat is a medieval town which developed around a prosperous Benedictine abbey whose origins are unknown. It seems that it existed already in the 9th century and was one of the six great abbeys of Périgord, along with Paunat, Belvès, St-Front de Périgueux, Brantôme and Terrasson. It was the only one to have been spared by the Viking raids, as it was located far enough away from the Dordogne and its environs. The first written mention of the abbey of Sarlat dates back to 1081.

The monastic estate of Sarlat managed to remain independent and placed itself under the direct authority of the Pope in 1153. In the same year, the abbey’s estate encompassed all of Périgord Noir as well as the regions of Agen and Toulouse. In 1181, the King of France, Philip Augustus, committed himself to protecting the whole city. The abbey was rebuilt between 1125 and 1160 in a Romanesque architectural style, and its prosperity reached its peak during the 13th century.

In 1318, the abbey became the seat of a new diocese created by Pope John XXII and the abbey’s church (by this time called Saint Sacerdos) was consequently elevated to the rank of a cathedral. Bishops replaced the abbots and used Gothic architecture to renovate the cathedral once again. The completion of the actual edifice was only achieved in the late 17th century.

From the 14th century until the French Revolution (in 1789), authority over the town was shared between bishops and consuls, which caused numerous internal conflicts. The powerful Bourgeois of Sarlat elected four consuls in their midst and 24 ‘jurats’ (ancestors of our municipal councillors). Out of a population of 6 000 inhabitants, only 150 could really own to the noble title of ‘Bourgeois’. To become one of them, the candidate had to practice an ‘honourable profession’ (ie. not manual labour) and have done this for at least two generations.

The prosperity of Sarlat between the 11th and 13th centuries ended temporarily in 1279 when the Great Plague from the East struck the city, killing 2 500 people, which was in fact nearly half of the inhabitants. The plague-stricken were transferred outside the ramparts, to a place called Le Pontet and buried even further away at Le Roc Laumier. Confronted with such tragedy and hopelessness, the Sarladais (inhabitants of Sarlat) threw themselves under the protection of the Virgin of Temniac, which coincided with the disappearance of the plague. A grateful people, the Sarladais decided to organise a procession that would take place each Pentecost Monday in remembrance of the covenant (when visiting the city, notice the fifty or so niches at the corners of streets, sheltering little statues of the Virgin Mary).

As an episcopal city, Sarlat played a crucial role in the Hundred Years’ War. It served as a rallying point for the soldiers and also as a storage place for ammunition and food. Protected by strong castles nearby, such as Beynac and Castelnaud, Sarlat was also able to reach out and help other towns besieged by English armies: Belvès, Domme or Montignac. In 1360, Sarlat became English as a result of the Treaty of Brétigny for a period of ten years. It was a period of stability and prosperity, during which the first stone of Church Sainte-Marie was laid, on 23 April 1365. In 1370, Constable Bertrand du Guesclin came to Sarlat to lead a rebellion of Sarladais against the English authority in the name of the King of France, Charles V. When the Hundred Years’ War ended in Périgord with the Battle of Castillon in July 1453, the region was all but in ruins. However, Sarlat prided itself on never once being taken by the enemy.

Between the Hundred Years’ War and the beginning of the Wars of Religion, Sarlat enjoyed a century of peace and regained prosperity. Half of its mansions were rebuilt; most of them were architectural masterpieces that can still be admired today. The bourgeois of Sarlat competed with each other and built sumptuous mansions topped by a nobility tower (‘tour de noblesse’): among the mansions are the Plamon mansion, the Chassaing (or Magnanat) mansion, the Vassal mansion, the Tapinois de Bétou mansion (see below ‘A guided tour of Sarlat’ for more details).

The Wars of Religion did not spare Sarlat. On 21 February 1574, protestant leader Geoffroy de Vivans and his 40 men seized Sarlat, making it fall for the first time in its history. On 12 May 1574, the city was taken back by the Catholics, led by the Lord of Puymartin. Over a decade later, in 1587, Viscount of Turenne (a Protestant) besieged Sarlat with a formidable – but disproportioned – army of 6 000 men and four cannons. The city was defended by 500 soldiers and somehow managed to resist for 14 days. The cannons opened a large breach in the ramparts, which can still be seen today on Rue du Siège, where a stretch of Sarlat’s walls survived demolition.

Turenne lifted the siege of Sarlat when the Lord of Hautefort threatened him. The conversion of Henri IV to Catholicism in 1593 ended the Wars of Religion in the region of Sarlat. Jean de Vienne, born as a pauper in Sarlat in 1557, had extraordinary success in becoming personal secretary to King Henri IV in 1590 and then to the president of the Court of Auditors (Cour des Comptes). His town-house can still be seen in the corner of Place de la Liberté.

In 1652, a rebellion against the authority of Mazarin and young King Louis XIV marked the end of Sarlat’s peaceful and prosperous era. The town was occupied by the army of Condé and freed itself in a bloodbath. The 18th century was an era of embellishment and opportunity for the Sarladais. Gradually, large streets (les Boulevards) replaced the ditches and parts of the ramparts were dismantled. The French Revolution had little effect on Sarlat. Under Napoleon, Sarlat was no longer attached to the diocese of Périgueux, the Préfecture (head city) of the newly created département of Dordogne. As a consolation prize, Sarlat was raised as a ‘sous-préfecture’ of the Dordogne département, alongside Nontron and Bergerac.

Sarlat was often nicknamed ‘la belle endormie’ (Sleeping Beauty) during the 19th century, mainly due to its remoteness at the heart of Périgord Noir. From 1836 to 1840, the controversial street of Rue de la République was built, cutting the old town-centre in half. This street is now the main shopping axis of Sarlat. In 1882, the railway station was inaugurated, from which point it was possible to reach Bordeaux. After the Second World War, Sarlat rediscovered mass-tourism thanks to the Malraux Law of 4 August 1962. André Malraux was Minister of Culture in 1962 and a former resistance member in Périgord during the Second World War. This legal act greatly enhanced Sarlat’s medieval centre through the extensive restoration of most of its houses. It was also in 1965 that the municipalities of Sarlat and La Canéda merged into a new ‘commune’, obviously named “Sarlat-la-Canéda”.

Today, Sarlat has become a major filming site, the third in France after Paris and Nice, with over 50 French and international movies taking place in the old part of town: ‘Le Tatoué’ by Denys de la Patellière (1968), ‘Jacquou le Croquant’ by Stellio Lorenzi (1969), ‘Les Duellistes’ by Ridley Scott (1977), ‘Les Misérables’ by Robert Hossein (1982), ‘La fille de d’Artagnan’ by Bertrand Tavernier (1993), ‘Les Visiteurs 1 and 2’ by JM Poiré (1993 et 1996), ‘Ever After’ by Andy Tennant (1998), ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ by Luc Besson (1998), ‘Jacquou le Croquant’ by Laurent Boutonnat (2006)…

Since 1991, the Sarlat Film Festival takes place in November. Every summer since 1951, the Theatre Festival of Sarlat creates a certain buzz in the capital of Périgord Noir, with its programme of performances and lectures.

History of Sarlat

Sarlat-la-Canéda © Gilbert Bochenek

Tourist Office

Cathedral Saint Sacerdos

Lanterne des Morts

Place de la Liberté

Saint Mary Church

Rue des Consuls

Présidial

Maison de la Boétie

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs

West District

East District

Tour du Bourreau

Visit Périgord Noir

Aquitaine Regional Tourism Committee:

http://www.tourisme-aquitaine.fr/

Périgord Tourist Guide:

http://www.dordogne-perigord-tourisme.fr/

Périgord Noir Tourist Guide:

http://www.perigordnoir.com/

Tourist information Centre of Sarlat-la-Canéda:

http://www.sarlat-tourisme.com/

Get travel advice about Périgord!

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Beynac-et-Cazenac - the impregnable fortress towers over the village of Beynac.

Castelnaud-la-Chapelle - the village of Castelnaud is famous for its medieval castle.

Domme - the bastide town in Périgord Noir offers spectacular views over the Dordogne Valley.

Marqueyssac Gardens - the beautiful and charming gardens of Marqueyssac between Beynac and La Roque-Gageac.

The Dordogne Valley - the “Valley of the 6 castles” in Périgord Noir features some world famous towns and castles: Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Castelnaud, Beynac...

La Roque-Gageac - one of France’s most beautiful villages built against a towering limestone cliff.

The historic town of Sarlat is divided in two by the Rue de la République, known as “la Traverse”. The district to the West of the street is known to be more ‘common’, while the eastern side is more aristocratic. The Tourist Office is located to the South, next to the Cathedral St Sacerdos and a few metres away from the Place de la Grande Rigaudie. The famous Place de la Liberté and the aristocratic Rue des Consuls, with its beautiful mansions, are towards the northern part of town. Below are details of some of Sarlat’s most famous monuments but, when visiting the town, be sure to let yourself be surprised by discovering the little arched passages and lanes along the way as well…

A guided tour of Sarlat

The Episcopal Palace (or former Bishop’s Palace) stands to the right of the Cathedral’s porch. The building was reconstructed by Bishop Nicolo Gaddi, defender of Machiavelli, “rival” of La Boëtie. The façade of the Episcopal Palace is adorned with sculptures of men’s heads, monsters and Atlantes, and shows the influence of the Italian Renaissance in Sarlat. The first and second floors are in the Gothic style, while the third floor contains an interesting loggia added by Gaddi, isolated by an corner-turret. This house is now host to Sarlat’s Tourist Office.

The Episcopal Palace (Palais Episcopal)

Located on Place du Peyrou, this church was originally part of a Benedictine Abbey, which dated to the 12th century, but has been rebuilt in a predominately Gothic style since the 16th century. This explains the distinct lack of architectural unity, as the main Gothic style structure has been built between the apse and the bell-tower.

The base of the bell-tower, an elaborated turreted tower from the 12th century, is the oldest part of the church. It contains groin-vaulted ceilings, Carolingian faces and is topped by a bulbous roof. The large entrance was added in the 17th century, above which visitors can see five statues of unknown origin and date. The interior has interesting panelling, statues and tombstones from the 17th century, an altar (16-17th centuries) and an organ built by J.-F. Lépine, a renowned organ maker.

When leaving the Church by the southern left-hand side-door, you come to the old abbey cloister (cour du cloître) and three broken arches, which are all that remains of the ancient Romanesque cloister.

Nearby stands the little chapel of the Pénitents Bleus (or Chapel Saint Benoit) whose interior is remarkable for its pure Romanesque style, and the Canon Courtyard (Cour des Chanoines), and Fountains Courtyard (Cour des Fontaines), where one of the two fountains that were used by the Abbey still runs freely.

The little arched passage behind the chapel leads to the Jardin des Enfeus.

Cathedral Saint Sacerdos

The sloping garden behind the cathedral contains tombstones from the monastic cemetery. Arched insets (called ‘enfeux’ in French) cover the tombs which used to contain the sarcophagi of the distinguished gentry of Sarlat from the period between the 14th and 16th centuries. One of them is adorned with sculptures from the 16th century and covers the body of a young maid, Anne de Dautrerie, who died from the Plague.

Behind the garden stands a strange, conical tower known as the ‘Lanterne des Morts’ (Lantern of the Dead) or St Bernard’s Tower, which was built in the 12th century. Its origins and actual function are unknown and consequently give the monument a rather mysterious aura. For some, the Lantern commemorated the passage of Saint-Bernard de Clairvaux to Sarlat in 1147, while preaching against Catharism. The Saint was said to have blessed bread, which miraculously cured the sick at the Calvary of Roc Laumier at La Canéda. The Lantern consists of two rooms, though the upper room is strangely inaccessible to people.

Today, this ancient cemetery is a peaceful, charming place, often animated in summer thanks to concerts and cultural events.

Don’t miss the picturesque Rue Montaigne when coming down to Place du Peyrou.

The Jardin des Enfeus

The Boëtie Mansion, facing the Cathedral, is one of the symbols of Sarlat. It was built in 1525, in Italian Renaissance style, by Antoine de la Boëtie. His son Etienne, was born there in 1530 and became a famous French writer, and friend of Montaigne.

The façade of the building displays large mullioned windows framed by pilasters, carved with medallions and diamond shapes. The old roof, tiled with ‘lauzes’ (flat limestone, typical of Périgord), is outlined by sculpted pinnacles depicting cabbages and sheep. The house also borders the Passage Henri-de-Ségogne, an attractive, narrow, medieval street typical of Sarlat. The inside of the mansion hosts a painting exhibition.

On the ground floor, follow the picturesque Passage Henri-de-Ségogne which leads to the Vienne Mansion through a series of half-timbered houses and wooden corbels.

The Boëtie Mansion (Maison de la Boëtie)

The Vienne Mansion (or Maleville Mansion) is located in a corner of the Place de la Liberté. This old house, which looks like a small castle, belonged simultaneously to Jean de Vienne, superintendent of finances to King Henri IV, and to the descendants of jurist Jacques de Maleville, who contributed to the writing of the Napoleonic Code.

This house actually consists of three adjoining houses of different architectural styles, which were joined together. This display of Gothic, Italian and French Renaissance elements is underlined through the presence of mullioned windows, renaissance windows (on the façade bordering Place de la Liberté) and corbelled turrets. The squared staircase tower features a Renaissance portal, whose pediment displays medallions depicting Henri IV and Gabrielle d’Estrées.

The Vienne Mansion (Hôtel de Vienne or de Maleville)

The main square of the historic town of Sarlat is fringed by outdoor cafés, the 17th century town-hall and the former church Sainte-Marie, recently converted into a covered market place.

Built between 1365 and 1479, the church Sainte-Marie was a symbol of the success of the ‘bourgeois’.

The former parish church of meridian Gothic style was amongst the many national buildings damaged and sold during the French Revolution (and was entirely in disuse by 1794). All that remains today are two bays under a ribbed vault, and the bell-tower with its steeple missing, though still featuring several monstrous gargoyles. The angel that stands on top of the church is nicknamed “Casso Graulo”, which means ‘raven repel’ in French.

The church was renovated in 2001 by the well-known architect Jean Nouvel (who spent his childhood in Sarlat) and features a permanent, covered market for ‘produits du terroir’ (local produce) and several rooms dedicated to cultural activities. There is also a glass lift to reach the top of the bell tower (a total of 27 metres), where the tourists can enjoy a 360-degree view of the city and its picturesque ‘lauzes’ roofs.

It would be impossible to miss the two monumental metallic doors. They each reach 17 metres high and weigh two tonnes. Needless to say they were the cause of fierce controversy amongst the local population when the new covered market was inaugurated.

Place de la Liberté and the former church Sainte Marie

The Plamon Mansion (Hôtel Plamon) on Rue des Consuls was built by a rich family of cloth manufacturers, the Selves de Plamon. The family became members of the local nobility through a marriage in 1483. Despite the juxtaposition of different architectural styles, the Plamon Mansion remained an architecturally harmonious edifice.

The ground floor and the first floor display remarkable stone filigrees: ribs from the 14th century, while the second floor is decorated with mullioned windows dating to the 15th century. The storeys are joined by a beautiful wooden staircase.

The porch and the staircase tower both date back to the 17th century. On the façade, notice the sculptures and the hooks upon which the inhabitants used to hang banners, tapestries and consular rings. Today, the Plamon Mansion plays hots to the Historical Museum of Sarlat and Périgord Noir.

The Chassaing Mansion (Hôtel Chassaing or Magnanat) was built in the 15th century consists of two buildings, linked by a hexagonal staircase tower. One building displays a Gothic twin window with small columns and a Renaissance mullioned bay-window.

The Magnanat dynasty, who built the mansion, also resided at the Castle of Labro, near the charming village of La Roque-GAgeac, as it was customary for the noble families of Sarlat to build a multitude of small castles in the region of Périgord Noir.

The 15th century Vassal Mansion (Hôtel Vassal), on Place du Marché des Trois Oies, is arguably the most picturesque with its twin corbelled turrets.

The charming and picturesque little square of Place du Marché des Trois Oies is famous for the sculpted geese of F.-X. Lalanne, symbols of the local gastronomic heritage.

Rue des Consuls and its neighbourhood

The Western District of Sarlat’s old town is separated from the touristy Eastern sector by the Rue de la République (or Traverse) and is still in the process of being restored. Although it does not contain as many mansions as the rich former ‘bourgeois, eastern part of Sarlat, this district is definitely worth a visit.

Wandering through Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the adjacent winding and narrow cobbled lanes, you will discover a quieter area of town, with old houses, ornate doorways and relics of the medieval ramparts.

Dating back to 1580, the Tour du Bourreau (the Executioner’s Tower) is the only tower (with the exception of the Tour de la Bouquerie) which is still standing from amongst the 18 which made up the ramparts. It is now an art gallery and there is a fine panoramic view over Sarlat visible from its top.

At the end of Rue Rousset is the Tour de Guet (Watchtower): a 15th century crenulated tower, next to a corbelled turret.

The Chapel of the Pénitents Blancs was built between 1622 and 1626 and used to be part of the Récollets Convent. Look out for its surprising baroque doorway.

The Western District (Quartier Ouest)

But the most beloved event in Sarlat is unquestionably its traditional French-style markets which take place twice a week, all year round (on Saturday and Wednesday mornings) and which display the region’s best local produce: foie-gras, fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy produce and cheese, herbs, poultry, fresh pasta, pâtisseries, jams, teas and infusions, plants, etc.

There is also a covered market which recently opened in the former church Sainte-Marie (open every day except Thursday from mid-November to mid-April), and a late-night organic market (every Thursday from 6-10pm). In December, January and February, a Truffle, Duck and Goose Produce Market takes place on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm on Place Boissarie.

Sarlat’s markets

King Philip Augustus

(Philippe Auguste)

Bertrand du Guesclin

and King Charles V

King Henri IV

Le Grand Condé

Bankstand from La Belle Epoque, Sarlat

The Grézel Mansion (Hôtel Grézel), located on Rue de la Salamandre, was built towards the end of the 15th century and houses one of the oldest restaurants in Sarlat (“Gueule et Gosier”). A noble tower of flamboyant Gothic style with a beautifully-crafted doorway is located adjacent to the half-timbered façade.

The Présidial Building was the seat of the Royal Court, set up by Henri II in 1552. It features an unusual façade covered with Virginia creeper with a large central arch supporting a loggia, topped by a curious little polygonal lantern which lights the vast interior staircase.

Rue de la Salamandre and the Présidial