| Description: | Sarlat-la-Caneda – by its full name – is a gorgeous medieval town located in the Dordogne Valley in southwestern France, within the greater region known as “la Nouvelle-Aquitaine.” As of the last census dating back to 2016, the city had a total population of 9127 people known as “sarladais(es).” Sarlat is also the capital of a region known to locals as the “Perigord noir” (Black Perigord). It is a town with rich history and a major tourist destination that attracts between 2-3 million tourists from around the world on an annual basis. The town center, in particular, is composed of countless picturesque streets dating back to the medieval ages, countless boutique hotels and restaurants with stone rooftops, the most famous of which are the “maison de La Boetie”, the “hotel du Barry”, the “hotel de Savignac” or the famous “presidial.”
The place de la Liberte is the epicenter of the town, which is also where the weekly farmer’s market is held and where the many regional specialties are offered for sale: black truffles, the world famous “foie gras” (duck liver pate), figs, nuts and more. In the year 1317, the abbey was the seat of the new bishopric created by Pope John XXII. The abbey church was transformed into the cathedral of the diocese of Sarlat. From there began the architectural transformation of the city with the construction of a parish church as well as numerous manors.
From the fourteenth century on, bishops and consuls shared power until the Revolution. Sarlat played an important role during the Hundred Years’ War with its status as an episcopal city.
The town became a reserve for men of arms, ammunition and provisions. The city was fortified, but it was also defended by the castles located in the surroundings, and it could lend aid to other cities besieged by the English: Belves, Domme, Montignac.
However, Sarlat was taken by the English as a result of the Treaty of Bretigny in the year 1360. It joined the King of France again ten years later, when the Constable of Guesclin defeated the English.
If the victory of Castillon put an end – in the year 1453 – to the Hundred Years’ War, the wars of religion caused additional damage a century later. The city played the same role as before, yet had to surrender twice and suffer the exactions of the captain of Vivans and Viscount Turenne. |
