Histoire de Sarlat

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Sarlat, a town of art and history, is part of a European network. The town is engaged in heightening public awareness of both inhabitants and tourists towards its environment, to initiate an appreciation in the young for architecture and urbanism. The organisers in charge of the town’s heritage, in association with the future museum’s curator, have set up an action programme for the year : themed visits, development of guides, competitive games, heritage days and nights, exhibitions. The town is not only appealing : its history is fascinating.

Since over a thousand years, the town has developed around an important Benedictine abbey, built during the roman period, in the 12th century, erected as a diocese in the 14th century. The town of consuls, nobles and tradesmen, became one of jurists and clerks who surrounded the bishop.

After the wars of 100 Years’, Religion and the Fronde, from the 14th to 17th century, the town rediscovered its golden age, thanks to the “noblesse de robe” and their high magistrates who exercised royal justice for the Presidial. They smartened up Sarlat with new and grand dwellings built with towers, symbols of the noblesse. This was also the period of the Humanists.

La Boetie was born here and was initiated very early to the spirit of the Renaissance. Jean Tarde, the bishop’s right-hand man, met Galilee in Florence and remained in contact with him for his astronomical experiences. Fenelon, a private tutor, was employed as priest in Sarlat, by his uncle, bishop of the diocese.

More recently, the creation of the “Festival des Jeux du Théâtre” in 1952 gave a new momentum to the town. Personalities became conscious of the interest raised towards its heritage, rediscovered by performers of stage and film. Sarlat was the first town to apply the “Loi Malraux” (Mulraux Law) voted for in 1962 to restore the historic centres, “the protected sectors”. It was a second rebirth.

Since, the “Festival du Film” was established for future young film-makers and technicians.

For those interested in History, the future museum will include in their website “The town recounted to the small and big”, its iconographic collection.

> Etienne de La Boétie (1530-1563). Born in Sarlat, place du Peyrou. Graduated in Civil Law at the University of Orleans in 1553, he was a consultant to the Parliament of Bordeaux. He wrote, amongst other essays, “Le discours de la servitude volontaire” (“Discourse on voluntary servitude”), which was circulated undercover and constituted as one of the pillars of modern democracy.

> Montaigne met him in 1557. From 1560, he was sent on a mission to re-establish peace between the catholics and protestants. In 1563, he died suddenly in Germignan on his wife’s estate.

> Jean Tarde (1561-1636). Born in La Roque Gageac, he became a canon to better apply him in mathematics. In 1594 and 1614, he met Galilee in Florence. A geographer, he drew the first maps of the Aquitaine. Astromer, he discovered the sun’s satellites (sunspots). Historian, he wrote the chronicles of the diocese of Sarlat. Theologian, he was the bishop’s right-hand man and chaplain to Henri IV.

> François Fénelon (1651-1715). Born at the chateau of Sainte-Mondane, ordained priest by his uncle, the bishop of Sarlat who gave him the position of Dean of Carennac. Known for his papers on Christian morale, he became private tutor to the Duke of Bourgogne, and wrote Telemaque in 1699. Bossuet and la Cour did not approve of him. As the Archbishop of Cambrai, he was then forbidden entry into Paris. Telemaque was too much in favour of dividing power.