Religious Sights in Dordogne

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

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.

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.

The beautiful Abbeye de Beaulieu-en-Rouergue was established in 1144 in the valley of the Seye by the Bishop of Rodez. This Cistercian abbey had a successful existence for many years and was expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries. It went into decline as the monastic discipline was relaxed but was saved from ruin in 1960 when it was subject to extensive renovation and turned into a contemporary arts centre which holds a number of temporary exhibitions each year.

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.

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

The church at Saint-Martin is distinguished for its original frescoes, which can be foudn inside, and its dedication stone.

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

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.

This 19th century church was constructed when the expanding city required somewhere larger to house the congregation.

At 68 metres above the ground, looking down on the rooftops of the medieval town, take a deep breath and enjoy the 360° panoramic view of the most famous wine appellation.

Standing near the Porte Barnicou (one of the five gates to the walled city), this 12th-century church was rebuilt in the late 15th-century and remodeled once again in the 17th-century.

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.

Built in La Cité, this cathedral was the main cathedral in Périgueux until the mid 17th century.

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

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.

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

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.