Abbey Sainte-Marie, Souillac

Laid out on the plan of a Latin cross, the sanctuary was inspired by the church of Haghia Sophia in Istanbul. It shares some architectural similarities with the Saint-Front Cathedral of Périgueux and the Saint-Étienne Cathedral of Cahors.

Repeatedly ruined and plundered during the Hundred Year War, the abbey was recovering thanks to the tenacity of the abbots, but later the religious wars caused even greater damage. Rebuilt in the 15th-century, the abbey actually ceased to exist during the Revolution, its buildings being transformed into tobacco store.