Religious Sights in Dordogne

This church in very bad condition after the war, and so it was lovingly restored in the 1950s by the locals of the town who were very attached to its heritage.

The monks originally lived just outside Saint-Emilion, but in 1338 they obtained permission from the Pope to establish a monastery within the walls. The cloister was built in the 14th-century.

Founded by Gérard de Salles in 1115, and affiliated to the Cistercians, the Cadouin Abbey is an incredibly well-preserved example of religious architecture.

The cathedral in Cahors dates to the 11th century though it has undergone modifications over the centuries.

This pretty church in the minute village of Allemans-du-Dropt originally dates to the 10th century, though there have been many changes and additions over the years. The reason for visiting it to see its frescoes which date to the 15th century and are in impressively good condition. They feature the Last Supper, Crucifixion, Last Judgement and a rather grim view of Hell.

This area was settled by monks in the late 19th century when Napoleon III decided to drain the marshlands in the area. It was established as an abbey in 1876 and the monks began making cheese to make the farm profitable. The community dispersed in the early 20th century but the site was reoccupied by a community of nuns of Espira Agly who were returning from Herrera in Spain. The nuns live under a vow of silence and have restarted the monks' cheese-making business. The abbey itself cannot be visited but they have a good shop selling cheese and confectionary from other missionaries.

Situated in the heart of the town of Autoire, this 12th century catholic church is like many others in the Quercy region and was fortified during the Hundred Years War.

A simple church that offers a refreshing cool interior on a hot summer day.

Although it is believed to have dated back to the eighth century, Father Goustat wrote in 1883 that this building could date back to VIII, XI or even the fourteenth century. It has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt in part or in whole over the years. 

The great wall, or Grandes Murailles, is now all that remains of a once Dominican monastery that was built in the 12th-century.

Taking some three and a half centuries to build, this small cathedral is the centre piece and heart of the community in Sarlat-la-Caneda.

Overlooking the Alzou canyon, the medieval village of Rocamadour is perched on a cliff. The religious city at the heart of Rocamadour consists of seven chapels is reached by climbing the 216 steps of the Grand Escalier. 

A catholic church that originates from the 10th or 11th centuries and was once said to contain the remains of the Sainte Spérie.

Situated in the heart of the pretty town of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, the Abbaye Saint-Pierre church sits in the Place du Marche and stands high above the surrounding buildings.

Situated in one corner of the main square in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, facing the Mairie (town hall), this church has an imposing steeple that reaches high about the streets.

This Roman Catholic cathedral in the heart of Périgueux's old town is named after the first bishop of Périgueux. 

This church, sited in the higher part of Saint-Emilion town, is incredible underground feat, carved out of the rock over three centuries.

The Lanternes des Morts (Lanterns of the dead) are small towers mainly found in the central and western parts of France. Thought to indicate the position of a cemetary.