Sarlat

Sarlat's history dates back to 840AD when the relics of St Sacredos were transported there from Limoges. On the site of the present day St Sacredos Cathedral, a church was built in the 12th century. In 1223 the town swore loyalty to King Louis VIII and therefore received freedoms to govern themselves. The town remained loyal to the king of France during the 100 year war even after they were delivered to the English as part of the Treaty of Bretigny in 1360.

After the war ended in the mid 15th century, the town went through another period of prosperity as they were afforded new privileges by the Crown for their support during the war. Many of the buildings that exist today were built in this period. After the wars of religion in the 16th century, Sarlat , who sided with the Catholics and were occupied for for a number of years by the Protestants, went into a period of decline. Because of this the town missed out on the modernisation brought about by the Industrial Revolution.

The only reminder of this period was that most of the walls were torn down and the Rue de la Republique or "Great Traverse" was cut through the town. The centre was in a poor state and it was only an act of parliament in 1962 - the Malroux Act - that helped fund the restoration of the town centre.

So today, when you walk through the cobbled streets of Sarlat, you are taken back to a time of renaissance buildings, unspoilt and unmatched in all of France. For this reason, Sarlat has become a tourist Mecca and base from which to explore all that the Dordogne and Vezere Valley have to offer

Below are some photos of the town -

Sarlat Market Day - The Markets are held in the medieval centre of Sarlat on Wednesday and Saturday. The Saturday Market is the bigger of the 2 and runs for the whole day. There has been a market in Sarlat every week for the past 600 years (The longest running in Europe)

The markets are full of fresh produce

And in varieties to suit all palates

Many of the buildings in the walled town date back to the 15th and 16th centuries

All the street lights are Gas Lamps which give a warm glow to the Limestone buildings

The Lantern of the Dead dates back to the 12th century.

Many buildings still have roofs made of "Lauzes". These limestone slabs weigh 500kg a square metre and require high pitched roofs to support them

Contact me at sarlat@biggerbytes.com.au for further information.