Religious Sights in Dordogne

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.

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.

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

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

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. 

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 village of Carennac grew up around a clunian priory founded in the middle of the 11th-century. This beautiful church and cloister are at the centre of the village.

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

Trémolat's first church was built in the 9th century and now today all that remains of the original work are two arches, north and south of the nave at the intersection of the transept. 

Founded by Saint Didier in the 7th century, this abbey really didn't flourish until the 11th century when the town was linked to the Anney of Cluny.

Gifted to Gaillard de la Mothe by his uncle Bertrand de Goth, Archbishop of Bordeaux, who later became Pope Clement V, the Cardinal Palace sits at the entrance to the city of Saint Emilion.

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.

Built between the 12th & 15th centuries, this church is one of the largest in Gironde. It's design is both Romanesque and Gothic, showing how it has been remodelled and renovated throughout history.

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

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

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.

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.

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.