- Albi, Carcassonne and Dordogne -

Sarlat 2

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Sarlat played a prominent role during the Hundred Years War. The fortified city was also defended by the neighbouring castles located at Belvès, Domme and Montignac. The English, however took over the city following the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360. Ten years later, following the defeat of the English by the constable of Guesclin, Sarlat reverted to French rule.

Rebuilding of the city was halted a century later by the Wars of Religion. The reign of Henri IV brought peace to Sarlat. New building in the city supplemented the rebuilding undertaken between the the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion.





Lunchtime in la Place de la Libertée  (Left and Right)

The Périgord is famous for nut production and, in particular, several varieties of walnut; Franquette, Grandjean and Corne. In the Autumn the nuts are taken from the trees. The nuts are then dried and sold during November and October in the local markets. The énoisage follows in which traditional local processing confers on the walnut a particular high quality. The green walnut can be consumed fresh or dried and has many culinary uses. It may also be converted into walnut oil  (Below)

In 1652 Sarlat was again occupied by invaders. Wars, plague and floods also devastated the city over the following years although the population continued to be maintained at between 5000 to 7000 inhabitants. The architectural quality of its buildings attests to the city's dynamism and its strong economy. The 'town of merchants' became a 'town of magistrates' in the 17th and 18th centuries. Following the revolution it became a sub-prefecture and during the following 150 years its prosperity diminished (although partial recovery followed the coming of the railway to Sarlat) and many of its old buildings fell into disrepair.

Intriguing shops are situated around the main square and Place de la Libertée and in the surrounding streets and alleys.

Joe Kessell in his "Interesting Thing of the Day' website writes,
  "What we had read about Sarlat La Canéda (the full name of the town, which is rarely used except on maps) was that, of all the towns in France, it was the one that looked most nearly as it would have in the 14th century. (That is to say, the old part of Sarlat, which had once been a walled city, looked that way—the outlying areas were just as suburban-looking as anywhere else.)

"Except for the central main street, the town was car-free and pedestrian-friendly—always a plus in my book. In addition, the signs of modern infrastructure—streetlights, neon signs, electric wires, and so on—were kept to an absolute minimum, or at least hidden. And most importantly, nearly all the architecture was preserved to look just as it did centuries ago.

"In all these ways Sarlat lived up to its hype, giving a fairly convincing illusion of stepping back in time. Fortunately, the effect was not so complete as to include, for example, raw sewage flowing in the streets or plague-infested rats, but it was close enough."

In France, as elsewhere, many of the historical areas of cities and towns were destroyed in order to accommodate modern commercial trends. The old town of Sarlat, however, was saved, thanks to the Malraux law promulgated August 4, 1962. The law prescribed for the restoration of the heritage buildings and was applied for the first time in Sarlat. The centre of the small medieval city with its sixty-five protected monuments and buildings was involved in the pilot restoration scheme.

A tour through the narrow streets and alley ways of Sarlat  (Left and Below)

The visit to Sarlat continues on the next page.
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