Sarlat, France
Sarlat-la Caneda is a lovely french village in the Dordogne Valley. We wanted to go to Sarlat because it is home to the highest concentration of medieval, Renaissance and 17th-century architecture of any town in France and it was very close to Beynac.
It's picturesque lanes and facades display the privileged status Sarlat received in return for its loyalty to the French crown during the 100 years war. When France decided that it wanted to preserve the architectural history of its cities Sarlat was the first city to get funds so it has the greatest number of preserved/restored buildings in France.
We strolled through the old streets lined with shops, boulangeries, restaurants, wine, pate, and cheese sellers. We did a little shopping ourselves because Mary Kay was looking for a casual dress and April was looking for souvenirs. Ultimately we arrived at the Cathedral St. Sacerdos
Cathedral St. Sacerdos
A lovely church, beautiful in its simplicity and age. I noticed how far back the original altar was and how distant it was from the people attending mass. The present altar has been brought much closer. The nave is a lovely place to come to rest and be in peace.
Our first historical stop was at Cathedral St-Sacerdos. The cathedral was once a 9th century church and part of an abbey.
The Cathedral is known for its amazing 18th century organ.
Lanterne Des Morts of Sarlat
Behind the Cathedral is the Lanterne des Morts. The Lanterns of the Dead is a conical shaped tower. Pierced with small holes at the top, the light from the towers are to indicate the the position of the cemetery.
Medieval Section of Sarlat
We left the Cathedral to go deeper into the Medieval Streets of the town that radiate from a central square.
We strolled the quiet street while enjoying the archways and lanterns until we reached the end and turned right to walk down Rue des Consuls a street of a mix of 15th, 16th, and 17th century mansions and a cool 12th century fountain, Fontaine Saintes Marie. It is a nice quiet and shady place to take refuge from the busy street.
The Manoir de Gisson is most popular mansion to visit along the Rue is a medieval building with mullioned windows and a roof of stone. It is a museum but we chose not to go inside.
The Manoir de Gisson sits on the Place du Marche aux Oies which was once an important goose trading square. Now the square features a statue of three geese.
The final street we walked along before leaving the old part of town was Rue de Salamandre which was named for the salamander emblem of Francois I which is on many of Sarlat's 16th century homes.
Sarlat is a lovely sized village that is interesting an interesting walkable and pretty. We loved our day visit to the town. Sarlat, Beynac and our short stay in Bordeaux has made us look forward to exploring more of France in our future travels.
