Sarlat-la-Canéda, commonly known as Sarlat, is a commune in the southwestern French department of Dordogne, a part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Sarlat and La Canéda were distinct towns until merged into one commune in March 1965.

Geography

The town of Sarlat is in a region known in France as Périgord Noir. It lies in the southeastern part of the Dordogne department, 7 km north of the river Dordogne. Sarlat railway station offers train services to Bergerac, Bordeaux and Périgueux. The commune is also served by Brive Vallée de la Dordogne airport (50 km), Bergerac Roumanière airport (70 km) and two bus lines.

History

Sarlat is a medieval town that developed around a large Benedictine abbey of Carolingian origin. The medieval Sarlat Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Sacerdos. This abbey appears in records as early as 1081 and was one of the few in the region that was not raided by the Vikings. The name for the abbey church was Saint Sacerdos by 1318; in the 20th century, it would become a cathedral under Pope John XXIII. Because modern history has largely passed it by, Sarlat has remained preserved and one of the towns most representative of 14th-century France. Its historic centre, with 77 protected monuments, was added to France's Tentative List for future nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. The excellent state of preservation owed a debt to writer, resistance fighter and politician André Malraux, who, as Minister of Culture (1960–1969), restored the town and many other sites of historic significance throughout France. The centre of the old town consists of impeccably restored stone buildings and is largely car-free.

Population

Economy

A film festival has been held in the commune every November since 1991. Other events include the Truffle Festival, Christmas Market and Fest’oie in winter, the Ringueta of traditional games, and the Theatre Games Festival.

Notable inhabitants

Cultural references

The town and region have featured in two major Hollywood films: Ridley Scott's The Duellists (1978), based on Joseph Conrad's Napoleonic tale; and more recently Timeline (2003), adapted from Michael Crichton's time-travel novel, and set in 14th-century France. In the cemetery of Sarlat one can admire the pyramid tomb of François Fournier-Sarlovèze, who inspired the story behind The Duellists. Other movies partly shot in Sarlat include: The city also appears in the first instalments of French author Robert Merle's saga Fortune de France, which tells the story of a fictitious Huguenot, Pierre de Siorac, during the 16th and 17th centuries in France.

Climate